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National Kidney Month: How can you naturally support your kidneys?

2 min read

In honor of National Kidney Month, let’s learn about kidneys and how we can best support them!

Blausen.com staff

“Kidneys filter 200 liters of blood a day, help regulate blood pressure and direct red blood cell production. But they are also prone to disease; 1 in 3 Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure. There are more than 26 million Americans who already have kidney disease, and most don’t know it because there are often no symptoms until the disease has progressed.” -National Kidney Foundation

Your kidneys are fist-size, bean-shaped organs that are located on either side of your spine in the small of your back. They keep your body’s electrolytes in balance, clean out waste, and produce hormones.

Kidney diseases don’t usually cause any symptoms, so the best way to protect your kidneys is to maintain excellent overall health, watch out for related risk factors, and monitor your renal function as a preventative measure. Being overweight, high blood pressure, autoimmune disease, prolonged use of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and inflammation are all causes of kidney failure. There are also associated diseases like diabetes. To maintain good kidney health, don’t smoke, eat a healthy diet, avoid painkillers and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, exercise, and drink lots of water.

To track your kidney function, you can monitor Albumin Creatinine Ratio (ACR), which estimates the amount of a type of protein, albumin, that is in your urine, or Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which tells how well your kidneys are working to remove wastes from your blood. If your levels are outside the healthy range, start taking steps to combat kidney disease.

If you already have kidney disease, you need to be extremely careful with your diet and supplements. You may need to monitor your potassium, phosphorus, and protein intake, since they are processed through the kidneys. Talk to your healthcare practitioner if you already have kidney disease, as you probably need to follow a special diet.

You can also try herbs to help support good kidney function:

  • Dandelion: Dandelion is great for detoxifying the liver and kidneys, as it has a diuretic and tonifying effect. Fresh organic dandelion leaves can be eaten in salad, dried leaves can be used as a tea, or you can find powdered dandelion in capsules. The roots, leaves, and flowers are all edible and nutritive, just be sure that you are getting organic dandelion, as many places spray to kill these amazing nutritional powerhouses.
  • Stinging Nettle: Nettle is kidney food that particularly supports the digestive and urinary systems. Is can be made as a tea or taken in capsules. Like dandelion, stinging nettle is a weed, so be careful about where you obtain it. If necessary, call and ask the manufacturer if they test their product to ensure purity.