While we might not think about it, a lot of our every day habits can lead to kidney issues down the line. Although these habits may have become part of our daily routines, it's important we try to break them for the sake of our kidney health.
Check out this list of measures to take to decrease the risk of kidney disease.
Use Herbs Instead Of Salt
A 2018 study in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension found eating a lot of salt disturbs the balance of salt in your blood. As a result, this can make it very difficult for the kidneys to remove water which could lead to kidney disease.
It’s recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture people limit salt intake to one teaspoon per day, or 2,300 milligrams. One thing to keep in mind is watching out for the high sodium content in processed and pre-cooked foods, because this is where kidney damage can sneak up.
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Another Reason Not To Smoke
In addition to harming your lungs and heart, smoking can also cause heavy damage to your kidneys. A 2000 study from Annals of Internal Medicine found both current and former smokers have a high risk of kidney disease. Abusing these substances makes creatinine, which causes injury to your kidneys.
What’s even worse is there are no symptoms associated with this. So, people could be hurting their kidneys without knowing.
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Be Careful With The Pain Relievers
A study from the New England Journal of Medicine unveiled taking too many pain relievers, such as Tylenol, results in 5,000 cases of kidney failure each year in the U.S.
Consuming the pill is most dangerous after fasting (not eating for a period of time). However, taking the pill after eating is acceptable.
This impacts our kidneys because according to Stanford medical professor Dr. Grant Lipman, pain reliever decreases blood flow to the kidneys. While this might not present an issue at first, this will cause trouble in the long run.
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Take Care Of Yourself When Sick
Most people get two to three colds a year, according to the Center for Disease Control. Even though these colds are quite common, it’s important to nurse yourself back to help rather than just ignoring them. The reason being is that antibodies are produced to help fight off the illness. While that’s seen as a good thing, these antibodies can inflame the kidneys over time.
Strep throat and ear infections are the ones to worry about the most because they have the highest risk of hurting kidneys.
It’s important to stay home while ill to prevent others from getting sick, and do everything you can to hopefully recover faster.
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Go To The Bathroom When Needed
When you got to go, make sure you do so. Dr. Cheamandeep Bali of Toronto Naturopathic Health Clinic told Huffington Post ignoring the need to pee can cause multiple health issues. Urine produces more bacteria the longer it’s in your body, and if it gets to your kidneys, that’s a big issue.
Most people go to the restroom around 8-10 times a day, according to urologist Mark Gordon. It’s okay to hold it in sometimes, but don’t make that a routine.
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The Hidden Dangers Of Processed Foods
There’s a lot of sodium in processed foods to keep them fresh, which can lead to kidney problems. However, NEPHCURE Kidney International has revealed there are other harmful ingredients- potassium and phosphorus.
Usually, kidneys can handle potassium and phosphorus with ease. However, too much of these can strain the kidneys.
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Soda Is A No-Da
Containing as much sugar as three and a half donuts, there are no nutrients in soda. Many researchers agree drinking multiple cans of soda a day could double the chance of developing kidney disease.
Sugar isn’t the only dangerous thing in soda. Researchers discovered in 2007 Coca-Cola can increase kidney risk due to its phosphoric acid content. This acid can impact gene mutation and can damage kidneys over time.
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Sleeping Is Vital
Sleep is important for a number of things, one of them being for good kidney health. A study from the University of Chicago discovered poor sleeping habits had a higher risk of kidney problems. In fact, the participants who slept 6.5 hours were found to have a 19% higher chance of kidney issues than those who did not.
Why does this cause issues? The National Kidney Foundation said your kidneys are still working when you stay up late, and they need a rest almost as much as we do.
It’s recommended to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
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Stick To Your Prescribed Medications
It’s important to continue taking any daily prescribed medications, even if you’re starting to feel better. Pausing or stopping these medications can hurt your kidneys, especially blood pressure or pain medications. These can put a big strain on your kidneys if taken sporadically, and some can even cause the patient to have a second heart attack or kidney failure.
Changing how you take your medication daily throws your body off of its regular routine. For more information on how your medication could effect your kidneys, talk to your doctor.
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Conduct Research On Supplments
The American Society of Nephrology discovered in 2012 many ingredients in daily vitamins and supplements can cause kidney issues. Some main offenders are willow bark, wormwood oil, geranium, cranberry, licorice, and vitamin C.
Cranberry and vitamin C can greatly increase the risk of kidney stones if consumed in high doses.
When combined with certain medications, natural supplements such as turmeric can also cause kidney problems.
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Keep Up The Exercising
Exercise is great for helping to keep people in shape, but also to improve kidney health. According to the National Kidney Foundation, exercising can improve sleep, enhance muscle function, and lower blood pressure. Long story short, exercise can reduce major risks for kidney disease.
Only 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week will do the trick. That spans out to 20 minutes a day of biking, gardening, walking, or dancing.
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But Don’t Push Yourself At The Gym On The First Go
While it’s definitely important to exercise to maintain good kidney health, it’s also important to keep it simple at first. Going too hard at the gym at first can cause Rhabdomyolysis (also known as Rhabdo), which is a syndrome caused by muscle breakdown. When muscles are injured, an enzyme is released that could damage your kidneys. This can end in kidney failure 40% of the time.
Although Rhabdomyolysis is very dangerous, it’s rare. Most cases occur during the first instance of exercise, according to Dr. Maureen Brogan of New York Medical College. For example, if someone pushes themselves too hard during their first run, they’re at a much higher risk than someone who took it slow.
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Beware Of Energy Drinks
A study featured in Frontiers in Public Health found a connection with kidney disease and energy drinks, especially in children. The high caffeine content in the drinks can lead to high blood pressure and stress, which can increase the risk of kidney damage.
Also found in energy drinks is the amino acid, taurine. Taurine is especially harmful to kidneys, and is very dangerous to those with kidney issues.
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Be Mindful Of Your Water Intake
It’s important to remain hydrated for a number of reasons, one of them being your kidneys. One of their main roles is to filter water, so hydration is a must. The National Hydration Council stated most kidney stones are due to chronic dehydration. This happens because when you’re dehydrated, there’s a higher concentration of minerals in your urine. These minerals can then form crystals inside your kidneys, which will grow into stones.
The National Kidney Foundation says there’s no exact amount of water you should drink. However, the Institute of Medicine recommends nine cups a day for women, and 13 cups for men.
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Red Meat Isn’t Good In The Long Run
Every once in a while, red meat is healthy. However, eating too much overtime could cause kidney issues. Although the reasoning is not completely clear, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology has confirmed red meat is potentially “kidney toxic.” Some researchers believe it’s because red meat produces too much dietary acid.
Luckily, there’s something that could help. Plant-based proteins can repair kidney injuries, and replacing on serving of red meat a week lowers kidney risk by 62%.
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Stand Up More
It can be difficult not to sit all day when working at a sedentary job. It’s in your best interest to try to get up and moving because sitting for long periods of time can result in a higher risk of kidney disease. A 2018 study in PLoS One discovered just one hour of physical activity a day can greatly decrease the risk of kidney failure.
Although the link between sitting and kidney issues isn’t clear, Dr. Thomas Yates of the University of Lancaster suggests exercise works because it lowers blood glucose and cholesterol. High blood sugar and blood pressure are both contributes to kidney failure.
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Say No To Butter
Although recent health trends have suggested replacing margarine with butter, this isn’t a good idea in terms of kidney health. The saturated fats found in butter can damage your kidneys if consumed in high amounts. These fats raised LDL cholesterol that harms your kidneys, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Feel free to still eat butter in small amounts, but not daily. If you would prefer to eat margarine instead, look for a brand with no trans or “hydrogenated” fats. These fats are much worse than saturated fats when it comes to raising LDL cholesterol.
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Don’t Overeat During the Holidays
People tend to eat too much food during holidays and celebrations, but doing so can strain your kidneys according to to Dr. Sreedhar Mandayam of Baylor College. The more food we consume, the “harder your kidneys work to sift through all the food,” says Dr. Mandayam.
Eating a lot of proteins, carbohydrates and fats are the worst combination. These are found most often in Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but don’t worry you can still enjoy your holiday favorites with a bit of portion control.
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Do Your Best To Lower Stress Levels
This one might seem tough, especially with our everyday lives. But it’s important to remember to lower stress levels, because researchers agree stress hurts your kidneys. Scientists in Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease believe this is because stress raises blood pressure, which can hurt your kidneys over time.
Another hidden danger when people feel stressed is they tend to ignore their eating and sleeping habits, which can also hurt your kidneys.
If you’re having issues with chronic stress, contact a mental health professional.
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Take Out The Sugar
Usually, sugar won’t cause any issues for your kidneys when consumed in small amounts. But when your blood sugar gets too high, that’s when it becomes an issue. According to the American Diabetes Association, a combo of high blood sugar and diabetes forces the kidneys to filter too much blood. This can cause the kidneys to eventually develop diseases.
A relationship between diabetes and kidney disease was found by researchers from the University of Montreal. Kidney disease can cause diabetes, and diabetes can cause kidney disease.
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Artificial Sweeteners Aren’t Better
Even though using an artificial sweetener such as Splenda is lower in calories, research has suggested it can have harmful impacts on your body. A 2009 study revealed drinking an artificially-sweetened drink such as diet soda increase the chances of kidney disease by 30%.
Researchers have said drinking less than two of these drinks a day won’t have a negative impact on your kidneys. More research still needs to be conducted on this topic, so it’s recommended to play it safe and swap out artificial sweeteners with honey or Stevia.
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