15 Habits that Damage Our Healthy Kidneys
It's hard to notice when we do our kidneys damage. Even if
80% damaged, kidneys can still do their job, and so we rarely realize they're
on their last leg. Often, even common daily habits can cause your kidneys
continual damage, and when you finally discover something's wrong, it's too
late.
Our kidneys are incredible organs that work very hard. By
themselves, they absorb minerals and nutrients, produce hormones, act as a
filter for toxins in our blood, produce our urine and maintain a normal acid to
alkaline ratio. We cannot live without our kidneys functioning properly. The
Chinese, for example, have looked at the kidneys as a site of essential life
force for centuries.
If you're serious about looking after yourself, then taking
care of your kidneys should be one of your primary concerns. If you want to
make sure your kidneys thrive and continue to serve you in the coming years
ahead, here's a helpful list of habits you should definitely avoid:
1. Drinking Sodas
A study conducted on employees working at Osaka University
in Japan found that drinking 2 or more soda drinks a day (either diet or
regular) may well be connected to a higher risk of kidney disease. The study
included 12,000 people, and those who drank larger quantities of soda were
found to have protein in their urine, which is one of the first signs of kidney
damage. However, early detection can reverse the disease with proper treatment.
2. A Deficiency in Vitamin B6
The healthy function of our kidneys also depends on a
healthy diet, especially one that contains certain nutrients. According to a
study performed at the University of Maryland, a vitamin B6 deficiency
increases the risk of the formation of kidney stones. For healthy kidney
function, a person should have at least 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 in their
food every day. The best sources for this vitamin are fish, beef liver,
potatoes, starchy vegetables, chickpeas and non-citrus fruits.
3. Smoking
Perhaps not surprisingly, smoking has been linked to
arthrosclerosis - the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels - which
influences the blood supply going to all the major organs, including the
kidneys. According to a study published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics,
just 2 cigarettes a day are enough to double the number of endothelial cells
(the cells that line our blood vessel walls) present in your bloodstream. This
is a sign of arterial damage.
In addition, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology
references a number of different studies conducted in the last decade that link
smoking to decreased kidney function.
4. Lack of Exercise
Another good way of protecting your kidneys is to get some
exercise. A comprehensive study published in 2013 in the Journal of the
American Society of Nephrology found that postmenopausal women who exercised
had 31% (!) less risk of developing kidney stones.
5. Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is what helps our body to properly absorb and
assimilate calcium. If we don't get enough magnesium, we get overloaded in
calcium and, once again, develop kidney stones. To prevent this from happening,
add some leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts or beans to your diet. Another good
source of magnesium is fresh avocados.
6. Disrupted Sleep
I just love a good night's sleep and, as it turns out, so do
my kidneys. According to Science Daily, a chronic disruption in our sleep can
cause kidney disease. According to Dr. Michael Sole, Cardiologist and Professor
of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto, kidney tissues get
renewed during the night while we're sleeping, so when we can't sleep without
constant interruptions, the kidneys suffer direct damage.
!
7. Not Drinking Enough Water
One of the most important things for our kidneys is for them
to get hydrated enough to perform their functions. If we don't get enough water
in our system, toxins start accumulating in our blood because there isn't
enough fluid to take them through the kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation
recommends drinking at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. An easy way to
check if you're drinking enough is to make sure your urine is a light color or
clear. If it's dark, you're not drinking enough. You can check the color of
your urine with this helpful guide.
8. Not Emptying Your Bladder Fast Enough
When you hear the call to pee, you should listen to it.
Obviously we're not always at a place where we can pee right away, but if you
'hold it in' on a regular basis, it will increase the pressure of urine on your
kidneys, which can lead to renal failure or incontinence.
9. Having Too Much Sodium in Our Diet
Salt is an important nutrient, but a disaster when taken in
excessive amounts. Over-consumption of sodium will raise your blood pressure
and put a lot of strain on your kidneys. We recommend limiting yourselves to no
more than 5.8 grams (0.2 ounces) of salt per day. So put down that salt shaker!
10. Consuming Too Much Caffeine
We usually drink more caffeine than we think we do. There's
coffee, tea, soft drinks and sodas - before you know it, your body is full of
caffeine every day, which causes your blood pressure to shoot through the roof
and your kidneys to suffer damage.
11. Abusing Pain-Killers
Many of us have a daily routine of taking medications. When
we suffer from pain, our first reaction is usually to swallow a pill. They do
help the pain, but you should think twice before taking too many. All
pharmaceutical drugs have side effects, and many of them cause kidney or liver
damage. Check out some natural painkillers you can find or make at home. That
said, some drugs SHOULD be taken, which brings us to my next point...
12. Not Taking Certain Drugs You Need to
If you suffer from high blood pressure and/or type 2
diabetes, two very common conditions these days, you will probably also suffer
kidney damage. Don't leave these conditions untreated and take your daily meds
to reduce your blood pressure and control your insulin levels. Without them, you're
almost guaranteed to suffer kidney damage.
13. Consuming Too Much Protein
According to a study conducted at Harvard University, an
overdose of protein in our diet can cause our kidneys damage. When we digest
protein, our body produces a byproduct - ammonia. Ammonia is a toxin that your
already-hardworking kidneys need to neutralize. This means that the more
protein we consume, the harder we work our kidneys, which can eventually lead
to kidney failure.
14. Not Treating Common Infections
We all get lazy sometimes and ignore a simple cold or a flu,
which can push our body to the brink of exhaustion. Studies have shown,
however, that people who do not rest or treat their infections often end up
with kidney disease.
15. Consuming Too Much Alcohol
Now this is a no brainer. The toxins in alcohol not only
damage the liver, many believe, but they are also something your kidneys simply
hate to deal with. According to Kidney Health Australia and the American Kidney
Fund, one good way of avoiding kidney failure is drinking alcohol in
moderation.
Thank You