What Are The Facts About Herbal Supplements
The following facts about herbal supplements are true for everyone, with or without kidney disease. Herbal supplements often have more than one name: a common name and a plant name. Some common concerns include:
- The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate herbal supplements for dose, content, or pureness.
- Some herbal supplements have aristolochic acid, which is harmful to kidneys.
- Herbal supplements made in other countries may have heavy metals.
- There are few studies to show if herbal supplements have real benefits and even less information in patients with kidney disease.
- Herbal supplements may interact with prescription medicines to either decrease or increase how the medicine works.
Hibiscus Tea May Help Your Digestion
Diuretics increase the amount of water and salt expelled from the body as urine. Hibiscus tea has been shown to work as a natural diuretic, pulling salt out of the body which is a mechanism by which blood pressure is reduced, says Michalczyk.
Plus, its essentially like drinking sugar-free and caffeine-free flavored water, which will keep you hydrated. In turn, drinking ample amounts of water helps you stay regular, prevents constipation, and aids in digestion, adds Rizzo.
How To Find And Make
Like most supplements, its important to purchase hibiscus leaves, powder or extract from trustworthy sources with a good reputation. Some experts suggest that, if you purchase hibiscus in extract form, it should be in an airless pump that hasnt touched the air so you still get the full hibiscus tea benefits.
If you purchase dried hibiscus, you are actually getting the calyces of the plant, which surround the petals, rather than the petals themselves.
All hibiscus teas are caffeine-free, so feel free to try a variety of them to find your favorite.
Its pretty easy to make your own hibiscus tea. After boiling water, place the dried calyces of the plant into the water and wait until it turns deep red. This will produce concentrated hibiscus tea, so then add about half the amount of water in cool.
Sweeten with raw honey or stevia to your desired taste when its warm, but not hot. Optionally garnish with mint or a slice of lime, and youve got a healthy, delicious beverage that can be served hot or cold. Some recipes recommend adding a cinnamon stick for flavor.
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What Do The Kidneys Do
Well-functioning kidneys are vital to excellent health. They eliminate water-soluble wastes and help to balance your electrolytes. They help to maintain the pH of your body. The kidneys help to regulate your hormones and blood pressure and get involved in making your red blood cells. These organs express over 1,548 of your genes. They filter 120 to 150 quarts of blood per day. Then, wastes and toxins get removed through urine to protect you. You simply cannot live without healthy kidneys.
Fun fact: The right kidney is usually lower and slightly smaller than the left because of the livers placement.
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Before We Start: Defining Some Basic Kidney Terms
Your kidneys are truly amazing. A healthy set of kidneys filters about ½ cup of blood every minute! They remove excess water and wastes from the blood .
Kidney infections occur when bacteria from the gut travel through the bladder and up to the kidneys . These are usually treated with antibiotics, and if you talk to your doctor, you may be able to add herbs to your treatment regimen to help ease pain and other symptoms.
Kidney stones are made up of crystal-forming substances, such as uric acid, calcium, oxalate, or cysteine. High levels of these in the urine and too little fluid to dilute them can cause stones . Drinking more fluids, changing the diet, and sometimes medication are used as preventative approaches .
Kidney disease or failure involves the loss of kidney function. Some causes include:
- Obstructions .
Now, lets find out how your favorite beverages might play into all this.
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Is Hibiscus Tea Safe During Pregnancy
Effecting Pregnancy. Since hibiscus tea can reduce our estrogen levels, expectant mothers are strongly suggested not to consume hibiscus tea. It is indeed not many research show how hibiscus tea affect the fetus. Yet, avoiding hibiscus tea during the pregnancy is a good idea for precaution action. 6. Interfering Female Fertility.
Health Benefits Of Hibiscus Tea
Often compared to the flavor of cranberry juice, drinking hibiscus tea brings a wealth of health benefits. Loaded with nutrients, stuffed with antioxidants, and here to help you deal with everything from hypertension to reducing heart disease risks, weight loss and complete immune system health, welcoming the floral grace of hibiscus tea into your daily routine is sure to boost your life in all the right ways. Take a look at all the heavenly hibiscus tea benefits
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Hibiscus Tea Is Loaded With Antioxidants
This caffeine-free beverage is a great source of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and reduce oxidative damage, says Maggie Michalczyk, RD.
Free radicals and oxidative damage attack your cells and exacerbate the aging process , while also raising your risk for illness and disease. Various studies have shown links between free radical damage and prevalence of dementia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, among others, so you want to keep those bad boys away as best as possible. The high dose of antioxidants in hibiscus tea might be able to slow this process, lower inflammation in the body, and keep your skin looking dewy and youthful.
May Boost Liver Health
From producing proteins to secreting bile to breaking down fat, your liver is essential to your overall health.
Interestingly, studies have shown that hibiscus may promote liver health and help keep it working efficiently.
One study in 19 overweight people found that taking hibiscus extract for 12 weeks improved liver steatosis. This condition is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, which can lead to liver failure .
A study in hamsters also demonstrated the liver-protecting properties of hibiscus extract, showing that treatment with hibiscus extract decreased markers of liver damage .
Another animal study reported that giving rats hibiscus extract increased the concentration of several drug-detoxifying enzymes in the liver by up to 65% .
However, these studies all assessed the effects of hibiscus extract, rather than hibiscus tea. Further research is needed to know how hibiscus tea affects liver health in humans.
Summary Human and animal studies have found that hibiscus extract may benefit liver health by increasing drug-detoxifying enzymes and reducing liver damage and fatty liver.
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Hibiscus Tea And The Kidneys
The kidneys are the bodys trash collector and keeps waste from building up in the body. The garbage is pushed out of the kidneys, into the bladder, and then it is discarded. The kidneys are located in the middle of your back and can process fifty gallons of blood per day. According to Dr. Oz. key factors in knowing if your kidneys are working efficiently are your blood pressure and blood sugar.
Both of these medical conditions, when left untreated, can cause chaos and damage to your kidneys. Dr. Oz advises drinking three cups of hibiscus tea a day can significantly lower blood pressure. Hibiscus is now the most promising herb in reducing the effects of high blood pressure.
Benefits Of Stinging Nettle
Nettle has been also used as a diuretic to remove excess water from the body and to treat urinary tract infection. It is also used to flush bacteria out of the kidney and the urinary tract. Nettle is anti-inflammatory and also high in oxidants.
Make a routineto drink nettle tea, and also drink an extra glass of water along with thenettle tea as it will help the kidney to flush out all the waste and excesswater. However, nettle tea is notrecommended for pregnant women because due to its allergic reaction it mayincrease the risk of miscarriage.
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Potential Liver Detox Tea Side Effects
If your liver is particularly unhealthy, then its important to take care when approaching a liver detox. The detoxification process is taxing on your body. Often you can experience unpleasant effects such as:
- Headaches
- Upset stomach
- Nausea
People performing liver detox often experience these effects because their bodies are releasing toxins that need to pass through the body to be expelled. Keep in mind that it is normal to feel worse before you feel better when performing any kind of detox.
Does Liver Detox Tea Make You Poop?
To put it simply, yes! Because a natural liver detox tea contains ingredients that help get rid of toxins, those toxins are going to be expelled in several ways. This includes urinating, sweating, andwell, pooping! Its natural, so dont fret about it.
Liver Detox is Scientifically Proven
Using herbs and homeopathic treatments are the root of medicine. Scientific studies have proven herbs to be effective for liver detox and cleansing. Before modern medicine was created, people depended on using natural methods to help treat ailments and conditions as well as everyday things. This meant hunting, cultivating, and scavenging for the necessary herbs and ingredients. Studies have shown that medicinal plants are naturally compatible with the human body, making a liver detox tea benefits a reality.
Drinking organic liver detox tea isa viable way to improve liver functions.
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Hibiscus Tea For Immune Support
Hibiscus tea is thought to be excellent for immune support, as it is extremely high in ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is responsible for keeping the immune system healthy and strong by assisting in the production of white blood cells. White blood cells have a serious job in the body and are responsible for fighting the pathogens and infections that sneak in. In addition, vitamin C promotes healthy skin and tissues and keeps the nervous system working.
Drinking hibiscus tea could also be helpful for patients suffering from anemia. Hibiscus tea is surprisingly high in iron. An 8-fluid-ounce serving delivers a whopping 20 milligrams of ironâan important mineral that keeps the immune system balanced and helps the body to maintain red blood cells . The vitamin C naturally found within the hibiscus works to complement the iron, increasing its absorption. With the heaping amount of iron also comes small amounts of minerals like potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
Hibiscus may also be a powerful and natural antimicrobial agent in fighting against food-borne illnesses. One study conducted in 2011 investigated the antimicrobial activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa on Escherichia coli . The findings indicate that hibiscus was effective at all levels in inhibiting E. coliâtherefore making it a promising antimicrobial agent that could be considered for inhibiting other types of food-borne illness.
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Is Yerba Mate Tea Good Or Bad For Kidneys
Yerba mate is an herbal tea native to South America with a smooth, woody flavor. Its high in antioxidants and nutrients. We bring it up here because it has a caffeine content comparable to coffee, making it a popular coffee alternative for waking you up in the morning.
Despite yerba mates benefits, there is little research on its relationship to kidney health. It does contain oxalic acid, an oxalate, so it should be avoided in excess when experiencing kidney conditions .
I have come across information that yerba mate may have properties which can help dissolve kidney stones. However, I have yet to verify this information with any reliable sources . At this time, Id recommend speaking to your physician and moderating your consumption of yerba mate if kidney health is a concern for you.
What we do know is that the antioxidants in yerba mate really make an impact in how the body responds to the high caffeine in a good way. A much healthier way to get your high caffeine kick. To learn more about yerba mate and its benefits, check out our spotlight post!
Coffee, Black Tea and the Kidneys: The Conclusion:
For those who like cups and cups a day of coffee or black tea, the caffeine and oxalates should make you pause for thought if you care about your kidneys. BUT all is not lost, read on for
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Hibiscus Tea As A Natural Diuretic
Hibiscus tea has also been shown to work as a natural diuretic, increasing both urination and bowel movements. As the water leaves the body, it pulls the sodium with it, which is one mechanism by which blood pressure is reduced.
As mentioned above, hibiscus tea contains a rich amount of anthocyanin, which is a phenolic compound. It is believed that this active compound is responsible for the teaâs cardio-protective effects. Another study on hibiscus tea investigated the hypolipidemic effects of drinking hibiscus tea. The researchers specifically looked at patients suffering from metabolic disorders like diabetes. The patients were randomly assigned to hibiscus tea or a placebo and were instructed to consume it two times a day over the course of a month. Blood samples were taken before the study began and upon completion. The group that drank the hibiscus tea saw an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . The results also showed a significant decrease in the average total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol .
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Top 5 Healthy Drinks For People With Kidney Disease
TopicsKidney KitchenHealthy livingNutritionHealthy eating
Many of us love reaching for a refreshing, ice cold drink on a hot summer day, or cozying up with a warm beverage during the dead of winter. But, did you know that the drinks you choose to quench your thirst can have a tremendous impact on your kidney health?
As a nephrologist and Kidney Kitchen® contributor, drink-related questions are some of the most common questions I get. Whether you need to watch out for certain nutrients or have fluid restrictions that you need to stick to, there are ways to enjoy healthy drinks for your kidneys. Remember each person with kidney disease should stick to the food and fluid plan you discussed with your doctor and dietitian, as it addresses your specific kidney function, fluid needs and electrolyte imbalances . Here are five of my favorite drinks that are generally healthy for people with kidney disease:
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Inhibits Obesity And Fat Accumulation
Well, your hunt for that slimming potion may just end with hibiscus tea. Study participants between the ages of 18 and 65 with a BMI of 27 or higher were asked to have hibiscus extracts. The results were promising as consumption of hibiscus extract reduced body weight, BMI, body fat and even waist-to-hip ratio. Serum free fatty acid was also lowered by consuming the extract.9
Another study points out that the polyphenols found in hibiscus extract effectively reduced the effects of a high-fat diet in hamsters in a dose-dependent manner. It prevents the liver from converting glucose and other substances into fatty acids and triglycerides. It also prevents preadipocyte cells from converting into adipocyte or fat cells.10
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Tea: Warm Up With A Cup
Featured PostTipsTagsblack teagreen teaherbal teaKidney Dietphosphorus in teapotassium in teatea
For people with chronic kidney disease or end stage renal disease , dietitians are frequently asked if tea is allowed, especially hot tea during cold winter months. As with many foods and drinks we are asked about, the answer is yes! In moderation, tea is a great beverage option that can be healthfully included in a kidney diet. In fact, there are many exciting health benefits that tea offers to anyone.
Teas come from the plant Camellia sinensis, of which the leaves will either turn to black tea with exposure to air or to green tea by steam or heat. Many herbal teas are created from either black or green tea leaves with additions of other herb leaves, spices, flavor extracts, or sweeteners. Some examples are mint, chamomile, or orange blossom herbal teas. You can also find herbal teas that do not contain tea leaves. Read the label to determine when selecting herbal tea. Research on herbal teas is inconsistent, but generally speaking herbal teas from major tea brands are safe for kidney patients to drink.
Tea ranks very high on the oxygen radical absorbency capacity scale, a measure of the antioxidant content of plant-based foods. High ORAC foods and beverages, such as tea, help to fight off free radicals and cancerous cells in the body.
Dr Oz About Hibiscus Tea Benefits And Side Effects
Dr. Oz recommends drinking hibiscus tea because of various health benefits. It might help you to control your blood pressure.
Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea drink consumed by men and women alike around the globe. Studies have shown drinking Hibiscus tea can help reduce blood pressure and ward off Type 2 diabetes. Hibiscus is an actual flower, and it is used to make a tart tasting tea and various healing tonics.
Tropical hibiscus is native to the tropics, and that means it needs warm climates, plenty of sunshine, a moderate amount of humidity and moist soil to survive. These fragrant flowers have been used in the making of sachets and perfumes, as well as in preparation in jams, jellies, cold and warm teas and drinks. It has also been used for treating constipation.
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