How To Improve Your Kidney Function

Best Ways To Improve Kidney Function Naturally

Kidneys are one of the most important organs of the body. The proper functioning of the kidneys reduces the chances of illness and brings about an improvement in our overall health. So, to prevent kidney ailments, it is essential to improve kidney function. This can be done easily by following a few simple, natural tips.

The reason why it is so crucial to ensure that the kidneys are functioning properly is that the kidneys perform the following important functions:

• They regulate the blood, blood volume, and blood pressure
• They filter the blood plasma and maintain pH balance
• They clean and filter the blood by eliminating toxic wastes in the form of urine.

Since kidneys perform such vital functions, it is advisable that you should know about some natural tips — related to diet, lifestyle, and exercise — to improve kidney function and also reduce the risk of kidney ailments like kidney infections, kidney stones, etc.

Natural tips to improve kidney function

There are several ways in which the functioning of the kidneys can be improved naturally. The top 7 tips for improving kidney function have been discussed below:

1.Eat a healthy balanced diet

To make sure that your kidneys are functioning properly, you should eat a healthy balanced diet. Your diet should ideally include a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grains so that your body gets sufficient vitamins and minerals.

2.Drink lots of water

3.Avoid certain foods

4.Reduce salt intake

5.Say No to Alcohol and Smoking

Nutrition And Low Kidney Function

Food is what our bodies use for growth, homeostasis, and healing. This is why its important for you to consult with a dietician who is knowledgeable about kidney disease. Youll need to find and maintain a balance between the levels of electrolytes, minerals, and fluid in your body.

A modified diet for chronic kidney disease may include adjustments to your intake of the following food items:

Practical Tips To Improve Kidney Lab Results

Chronic Kidney Disease, as you may well know, means that your kidneys are not working as well as they once did. It is often a progressive disease which means it can get worse over time.

One way to combat this is to start undergoing a renal diet. By choosing the right foods to eat, you can greatly help lessen the burden on your kidneys. You could go with these kidney-boosting food items for starters.

However, you also need to learn to keep tabs of your kidney disease lab results to make sure you are in the right track and are keeping your kidneys in the safe zone.

If you are still starting to do something that can improve your numbers, here are some guides that nephrologists and health professionals follow, which can work for you, too!

Glomerular filtration rate

GFR tells you how well your kidneys are filtering blood. The goal is to keep your GFR from going down to delay kidney failure. A GFR level below 60 is indicative of kidney disease, while a value of 15 or less signifies kidney failure.

How to improve GFR values?

This is where renal dieting comes in. And this renal diet education for patients is not just limited to improving your GFR, but your other numbers as well .

1. Limit your sodium intake.

2. Manage your blood sugar levels.

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Drink Plenty Of Fluids

Theres no magic behind the cliché advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, but its a good goal precisely because it encourages you to stay hydrated. Regular, consistent water intake is healthy for your kidneys.

Water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys. It also lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease.

Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 liters in a day. Exactly how much water you need depends largely on your health and lifestyle. Factors like climate, exercise, gender, overall health, and whether or not youre pregnant or breastfeeding are important to consider when planning your daily water intake.

People who have previously had kidney stones should drink a bit more water to help prevent stone deposits in the future.

How To Improve Kidney Function Extra Tips

There are more ways to improve your kidney functions than the well known methods that you might have already tried. By putting these steps into action you can reduce your risk of kidney disease or lessen your symptoms if you have it already. Here are some proven ways that work if you want to know how to improve kidney function naturally.

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Nutrients To Be Aware Of

Keep in mind that there are plenty of other healthy options that will do your kidneys, and your body, plenty of good. If you do have chronic kidney disease, there are a few nutrients you should be aware of.

Your kidneys regulate potassium, which is why it’s so important to monitor how much you are eating on a regular basis. Your kidneys also have a role in red blood cell production, meaning that if they aren’t functioning correctly your count may be low. Eating iron-rich foods can help prevent this and help keep your energy levels up.

On the opposite side of the equation, salt can be your enemy. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure and make your heart and kidneys work too hard. Be careful about how much salt you use in cooking and also watch the salt content of pre-packaged foods like canned soups, frozen dinners, and boxed meals. Salt substitutes may also contain a lot of potassium, so try herbs to add flavor and give it some time. You can get used to eating less salt, but it does take six to eight weeks for your taste buds to get used to it.

Lastly, we mentioned phosphorus, but it is worth repeating. A low-phosphorus diet should include lots of fresh fruits and veggies, rice milk, corn and rice cereals, as well as lemonade and even ginger ale.

Fruits And Vegetables In The Diet

An overall healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables is a smart choice for keeping your kidneys in topnotch shape. Fresh produce is not only high in water content, but it also contains powerful nutrients like vitamin C and flavonoids that support the health of all your organs, including the kidneys. If your doctor advises a low-potassium diet for your kidney health, focus on fruits and veggies that are significantly lower in this mineral. Your best veggie options include:

• Cabbage
• Cucumber
• Eggplant

Avoid seasoning your vegetable dishes with salt and salt substitutes, and opt instead for dried or fresh herbs, chopped garlic or onion and a splash of olive oil.

Among fresh fruits, you have a lot of delicious low-potassium options, including:

• Berries, such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries
• Peaches
• Apples
• Watermelon

Stick to recommended serving sizes, though, because too much of any low-potassium food can end up having a lot of potassium.

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Why Do Some Kidney Patients Need To Follow Special Diets

Advanced kidney disease can upset the delicate balance of essential nutrients in the body so some people may have to:

• restrict amounts of some types of foods and drinks to stop harmful build up in the blood
• modify their diets to help prevent muscle or bone weakening.

Others may have to avoid certain foods, such as fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice because they can interfere with certain medications.

Manage Diabetes High Blood Pressure And Heart Disease

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, the best way to protect your kidneys from damage is to

Keep blood glucose numbers close to your goal. Checking your blood glucose, or blood sugar, level is an important way to manage your diabetes. Your health care team may want you to test your blood glucose one or more times a day.

Keep your blood pressure numbers close to your goal. The blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90 mm Hg. Read more about high blood pressure.

Take all your medicines as prescribed. Talk with your health care provider about certain blood pressure medicines, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs, which may protect your kidneys. The names of these medicines end in pril or sartan.

Be careful about the daily use of over-the-counter pain medications. Regular use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , such as ibuprofen and naproxen, can damage your kidneys. Learn more about over-the-counter medicines and your kidneys.

To help prevent heart attacks and stroke, keep your cholesterol levels in the target range. There are two kinds of cholesterol in your blood: LDL and HDL. LDL or bad cholesterol can build up and clog your blood vessels, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. HDL or good cholesterol helps remove the bad cholesterol from your blood vessels. A cholesterol test also may measure another type of blood fat called triglycerides.

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Fluids For Kidney Function

You may think drinking extra fluids is a no-brainer for increasing kidney function, but more isnt always better. The National Kidney Foundation advises you to drink just enough fluids to keep your urine either light yellow or colorless. A standard recommendation is 13 cups daily for men and 9 for women. Although that sounds like a lot, it includes both healthy fluids like filtered water and low-fat milk and also the water found naturally in fruits and vegetables. If you already have kidney disease, your doctor will advise you to drink much less so you dont overwhelm your kidneys.

Cranberry juice has a decades-long association with kidney health, especially in preventing urinary tract infections, but a review of studies in 2012 found little evidence for its actual effectiveness. The NKF simply suggests drinking water to prevent the accumulation of bacteria that cause urinary tract infections.

Dietary Changes For Increasing Kidney Function

A dietitian may propose other modifications to your diet to increase your kidneys function, like reducing your overall protein intake from meats and other animal foods. Because kidney disease is often related to high blood pressure, you may also need to monitor your sodium intake, eschewing canned or frozen foods in favor of fresh, and avoiding processed meats like bacon and sausage.

Suggested dietary changes for kidney disease may involve limiting foods high in the mineral phosphorus, like cheese, milk and yogurt and protein foods like oysters, sardines and liver. Consult your health-care provider for a kidney-smart dietary plan that works for you.

References

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Symptoms Of Kidney Disease

In the early stages of kidney disease, people can have no symptoms. In fact, some people have no symptoms until over 90 per cent of their kidney function has gone. This is unfortunate because early detection of kidney disease and treatment is the key to preventing kidney failure.

Symptoms of kidney disease can include:

• tiredness
• bad breath an
• a metallic taste in the mouth.

These symptoms can be caused by other conditions, but if you are in a high-risk group for kidney disease, speak with your doctor.

How Is A Kidney

When your kidneys are not working as well as they should, waste and fluid build up in your body. Over time, the waste and extra fluid can cause heart, bone and other health problems. A kidney-friendly meal plan limits how much of certain minerals and fluid you eat and drink. This can help keep the waste and fluid from building up and causing problems.

How strict your meal plan should be depends on your stage of kidney disease. In the early stages of kidney disease, you may have little or no limits on what you eat and drink. As your kidney disease gets worse, your doctor may recommend that you limit:

• Potassium
• Fluids

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Lower Your Salt Intake

A high sodium intake can put a strain on your kidneys. Diets that have excess salt can also contribute to high blood pressure. Additionally, a high salt intake has been shown to shoot up the amount of protein in the urine, which could lead to serious kidney damage

A high sodium intake can put a strain on your kidneys. Diets that have excess salt can also contribute to high blood pressure. Additionally, a high salt intake has been shown to shoot up the amount of protein in the urine, which could lead to serious kidney damage

How To Lower Creatinine Levels Without Dialysis

The symptoms of high creatinine can vary depending on the cause. When you have CKD or declining kidney function, you must do health measures to prevent further kidney damage and slow down CKD progression.

In cases of kidney failure, dialysis may become necessary on top of the medications to help your kidneys filter toxins and waste buildup.

Nevertheless, if you are still in the early stages of CKD, these tips below can help lower your creatinine levels.

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How To Lower Creatinine Levels And Improve Kidney Function

Healthy kidneys maintain the blood creatinine within a normal range. However, as kidney function declines, the kidneys may be unable to clear the creatinine level in the blood. Abnormally high levels of creatinine could indicate potential kidney malfunction or failure. For this reason, the doctors conduct a creatinine test to determine how well your kidneys perform.

Any condition that affects the function of the kidneys is likely to elevate the creatinine level in the blood. It is essential to work with your nephrologist to develop a treatment plan to address any medical issues that might be implicating your kidney function.

In this article, we will look at the definition of creatinine, the test to determine the creatinine levels in the blood, ways to lower creatinine levels, and myths about lowering creatinine.

What Is Kidney Failure

Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to adequately remove waste from your blood and control the level of fluid in your body. Kidney failure can happen suddenly or gradually. People with kidney failure need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.

If you have kidney disease, it does not mean that you will develop kidney failure. One in ten Australians aged 18 and over has at least one sign of chronic kidney disease, and over 23,000 Australians receive dialysis or a kidney transplant for kidney failure.

You can lose up to 90 per cent of your kidney function before experiencing symptoms. In many cases, the signs of disease arent noticed until the kidneys are close to failure.

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Healthy Eating Guidelines For People With Early Chronic Kidney Disease

Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of a fist. Most people have two kidneys, one on each side of the spine just below the rib cage. The kidneys main functions are to:

• Regulate the amount of water in the body
• Get rid of waste products
• Balance minerals such as calcium
• Make hormones, such as the ones that control blood pressure and red blood cell production

There are five stages of chronic kidney disease . In early stages , your kidneys may work well enough that you do not have any symptoms. At each stage the body is less able to get rid of extra water and waste.

In early kidney disease, the main goal is to help your kidneys function better for longer. Eating a variety of healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains and protein foods can help. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, manage these conditions through lifestyle changes and taking any medication prescribed by your doctor. A dietitian can help you plan a diet that is suitable for all your health conditions.

If your kidneys continue to lose function, your doctor or a dietitian may advise you to make other changes to your diet. There is no one diet that is right for everyone with kidney disease.

Reduce Your Dairy Intake

Salt isnt the only food thats harmful to your kidneys. Milk and dairy products increase the amount of calcium removed from your body via urine. This can increase the risk of kidney stones, especially if you dont drink much water and have a genetic predisposition.

• People who consume dairy products for the calcium should remember that calcium in dairy is not digested properly. It can damage your kidneys in the long term.

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Treatment For Kidney Failure

The treatment choices for kidney failure include:

• dialysis
• kidney transplantation
• non-dialysis supportive care.

Dialysis or kidney transplantation is needed when there is less than 10 per cent of kidney function left. These options are also known as renal replacement therapy . Some people choose non-dialysis supportive care rather than dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Ask Your Health Care Provider Questions

Ask your health care provider the following key questions about your kidney health during your next medical visit. The sooner you know you have kidney disease, the sooner you can get treatment to help protect your kidneys.

Key questions for your health care provider:

• What is my glomerular filtration rate ?
• What is my urine albumin result?
• What is my blood pressure?
• What is my blood glucose ?
• How often should I get my kidneys checked?

Other important questions:

• What should I do to keep my kidneys healthy?
• Do I need to be taking different medicines?
• Should I be more physically active?
• What kind of physical activity can I do?
• What can I eat?

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