Kidney is one of the vital organs of our body. It involves our renal system to filter blood and excrete waste products by forming urine. But, do you ever think about the health of your kidneys? If kidneys are affected, it will lead you to various kidney diseases like CKD, kidney stones, etc. So in this article, we gonna discuss how to keep your kidneys healthy and fit from the disease like kidney stones in natural ways.
How to keep your kidneys healthy
1. Get proper water
Water is the most important factor to keep your kidneys healthy. It is the main constituent of urine. So, if there is a lack of water in your body, your urine will become straw-colored. It is a sign of dehydration. Lack of water in urine may raise the chance of forming kidney stones. Various unwanted chemicals in our body are excreted through our urinary system. Normally, these chemicals are filtered and washed away with water through the kidneys. If there is a lack of water in circulation, the filtrate may concentrate to form tiny stones means kidney stones. But if there is enough water in circulation, the filtrate can’t accumulate to form stone and excrete easily with water. Water also helps to wash excess sodium from our bodies. So if you want to keep your kidneys healthy in a natural way, drink enough water and get hydrated. An adult should take a minimum of 2 liters of water daily.
2. Ensure a balanced diet
What you are drinking or eating affects your kidneys. So, a balanced diet is much helpful to prevent your kidneys from damaging. A kidney-friendly diet should be low in proteins because damaged kidneys can’t wash out the end products of proteins. For the same reason, one should lower the intake of phosphorus. Processed foods are the main source of phosphorus. A kidney patient should check the intake of potassium also. If your kidney is damaged, it will fail to remove excess potassium from the bloodstream. It may cause muscle weakness, slow pulse, or heart attack. Too much animal protein is also harmful to your kidneys as it produces a high amount of acid which leads to acidosis. This condition is fatal to your kidneys. So, for a healthy kidney, you should limit potassium, phosphorus, many animal proteins, and need to eat fresh fish and vegetables. Learn A Balanced Diet: Source, Requirement, and Benefits
3. Reduce salt intake
To keep your kidneys healthy, you must strictly limit your salt intake. Because salt is a big source of sodium. A higher intake of sodium will reduce the function of kidneys as well as make them worse and accumulate water in the body. As a result, blood pressure may raise in your body. Increase body water may lead to heart failure and shortness of breath. Also, edema can be grown.
So, try to read the food level before you take it. Take fresh foods instead of processed or packaged foods.
4. Check your BP
High blood pressure is risky for the health of your kidney. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. Above 140/90 is considered as high blood pressure. It affects the kidneys by damaging the renal blood vessels. As a consequence, kidneys fail to filtrate waste products from the blood effectively. This may lead to renal failure. Low blood also affects the kidneys. In this condition, the blood supply to the kidneys decreased. So, adequate filtration fails to occur. This may also lead to renal failure. For this, you should check up your blood pressure regularly as a daily checkup. Also, you can read how to lower high blood pressure.
5. Control blood sugar
Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause damage to your kidneys. Any damage to kidneys due to a higher level of blood sugar is called diabetic kidney disease. Into the blood of a person with diabetes has a higher level of sugar. All these sugar aren’t used by the cells. So blood possesses an extra level of sugar. It forces the kidneys to work harder to filter the blood. This may cause renal damage. So to keep your kidneys active and functional, control your blood sugar along with blood pressure.
6. Control your weight
Overweight is not good for your health as well as kidneys. This is responsible for the abnormal functions of kidneys. When you are obese, your kidneys have to work with extra force to filtrate your blood. So it causes pressure on your kidneys. Studies have found that kidney stones are linked to obesity. The chance of forming kidney stones is twice those that possess BMI more than 30.
Then control your weight and keep your kidneys fit. You can learn how to Lose Weight Fast in Two Weeks: Prevention of Obesity.
7. Give up smoking
This is known to all that smoking is injurious to health. The study says that it is also dangerous to kidneys. Functions of kidneys are greatly hampered by smoking. In a study, researches found that albumin level is higher in the urine of a smoker than that of a non-smoker. Besides, the excretion of creatinine is delayed in smoker compared with a non-smoker. These are the signs of abnormal renal function. Moreover, smoking affects the medicines taken for regulating blood pressure. It slows the blood flow to the important organ of the body. So, no need to repeat the importance of giving up smoking to save your kidneys.
8. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol is another threat to your kidneys. It hampers the renal function in a various way. Your blood pressure and cholesterol level may arise due to drinking alcohol. It also prevents ADH which plays role in decreasing urine production. Due to the prevention of ADH, your kidneys try to produce more urine even if you are dehydrated. This may result in kidney pain. Alcohol also disturbs the pH balance of the body. So kidneys have to work harder to maintain the overall body pH. Besides, excessive alcohol consumption is linked to kidney stones. All of these are responsible for the dysfunction of kidneys. So if you wanna save your kidneys, give up alcohol now.
9. Be active
It is much contradictory whether exercise promotes kidney functions or not. Some researches suggest that exercise may help renal function by lowering cholesterol, improving muscle function, lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and keeping a healthy body weight. Aerobic exercise is most helpful in this regard. On the other hand, some researches say that exercise may slow down kidney disease progression. Extreme exercise may cause muscle damage and release a certain hormone. This may cause harm to kidneys and reduce the ability to remove urine. So before getting exercise, consult with an expert.
10. Get enough Sleep
Sleep is very important for a person to keep fit the body. Good sleep can make your day. It is also important for the health of your kidneys as well. As per experts’ opinion, kidney functions are regulated by the sleep-wake cycle. It aids to coordinate the workload of kidneys. But lack of sleep may affect the kidney functions. It is found to link with chronic kidney disease. Poor sleep may harm kidneys and responsible for declining kidney functions at an early age. Hence, if you want to save your kidneys and keep them strong, get proper sleep daily.
These are some suggestions to keep your kidneys healthy. But better to consult with a doctor always.
