Monitor Your Diabetes Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Levels
In the United States, diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure.
Diabetes is vastly driven by obesity, which can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol, Peev says. And diabetic kidney disease is the No. 1 reason for developing end-stage CKD, so its important that you have it under control.
Further, a study by the National Kidney Foundation found that people with high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop CKD.
If you are overweight and can lose weight through changes in your diet and activity level, Peev says you can significantly reduce your risk of CKD.
What Are The Functions Of The Kidneys
While the kidneys are famous for removing waste and excess fluids from the body as well as inspiring the shape of some swimming pools and the name of the widely consumed kidney bean they do so much more. Before we get to those functions, lets locate them in the body.
The kidneys are a pair of organs, each about the size of a fist, located on either side of the spine just below the floating ribs. As part of the urinary system, the kidneys excrete urea , which is a major component of urine. Unlike sugars and fats, the body has no means of storing proteins for later use, so the excess has to be excreted to prevent toxic buildup.
In addition to secreting urea, the kidneys remove other waste products, such as drugs and other foreign chemicals, that arent native to the body. They also get rid of excess fluid and regulate the fluid-electrolyte balance in your body by continuously filtering your blood.
And by continuously, I do mean continuously. The kidneys filter about 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours. The average adult has about five quarts of blood, which means that every drop of blood takes a ride through these organs around 40 times per day.
Of those 200 quarts, about 198 are cleaned and returned to the body, good as new, while the remaining two or so quarts are excreted. Thats partially the basis for the often-stated recommendation to drink eight cups of water two quarts a day.
Treatment For Kidney Disease
If detected early enough, the progress of kidney disease can be slowed and sometimes even prevented. In the early stages, changes to diet and medication can help to increase the life of your kidneys.
If kidney function is reduced to less than 10 per cent of normal, the loss of function must be replaced by dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that removes waste products and extra water from the blood by filtering it through a special membrane .
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Prevention Of Kidney Disease
Medication and changes to lifestyle, along with an early referral to a kidney specialist , can prevent or delay kidney failure.
Heathy lifestyle choices to keep your kidneys functioning well include:
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables including legumes and grain-based food such as bread, pasta, noodles and rice.
- Eat lean meat such as chicken and fish each week.
- Eat only small amounts of salty or fatty food.
- Drink plenty of water instead of other drinks. Minimise consumption of sugary soft drinks.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Stay fit. Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity that increases your heart rate on five or more days of the week, including walking, lawn mowing, bike riding, swimming or gentle aerobics.
- If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do, quit. Call the Quitline or ask your doctor for help with quitting.
- Limit your alcohol to no more than two small drinks per day if you are male, or one small drink per day if you are female.
- Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Do things that help you relax and reduce your stress levels.
A range of medication is available for high blood pressure. Different blood pressure medications work in different ways, so it is not unusual for more than one type to be prescribed. The dose may change according to your needs.
Monitor Your Over The Counter Pill Intake
If you regularly take over the counter pain meds, you could be damaging your kidneys without realising it: Regular use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen can cause kidney damage, but if you dont have any existing kidney issues and only take these drugs occasionally, youre probably okay.
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Before You Try A Kidney Cleanse
Kidneys aren’t the most glamorous organs in the body, but don’t let them fool you. These bean-shaped organs perform some powerhouse functions every day.
Located under the rib cage in your lower back, your kidneys clear waste from your body. This is no small task: Every day, your kidneys remove about 2 quarts of excess water and waste products and process about 200 quarts of blood to do it.
Kidneys also release three important hormones: erythropoietin , renin , and calcitriol . Calcitriol also helps maintain calcium for bones and chemical balance in the body.
But do your kidneys need help to function at their best? That’s the basic premise of a kidney cleanse.
This article will explain what a kidney cleanse is and what it purports to do. “Purports” is the key word, because no scientific evidence exists to support the idea that eating certain foods and taking specific vitamins improves kidney health. Instead, you may wish to take other sensible steps before or even in place of a cleanse.
Control Your Portion Sizes
Eating too much of anything, even healthy foods, can be a problem. The other part of a healthy eating plan is portion control, or watching how much you eat.
Good portion control is important in a kidney-friendly eating plan, because you may need to limit how much of certain things you eat and drink.
To help control your portion sizes:
- For packaged foods, check the nutrition facts label to learn the serving size and how much of each nutrient is in one serving. Many packages have more than one serving. For example, a 20-ounce bottle of soda is really two-and-a-half servings.
- For fresh foods that do not have nutrition facts labels, such as fruits and vegetables, ask your dietitian for a list of nutrition facts to measure the right portions.
- Eat slowly and stop eating when you are full. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain that you are full. If you eat too quickly, you may eat more than you need.
- Avoid eating while doing something else, such as watching TV or driving. When you are distracted, you may not realize how much you have eaten.
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Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Drinking too much alcohol can harm many parts of the body, including the kidneys.
The National Kidney Foundation warns that regular heavy drinking affects the kidneys and their function and doubles the risk for kidney disease. Consuming more than three drinks a day for women and more than four drinks a day for men is considered heavy drinking, according to the foundation.
A small amount of alcohol one or two drinks every now and then tends not to have any serious effects, Peev says. But its important to remember that drinking in moderation is key.
Swiss Chard Spinach And Beet Greens
Most leafy green vegetables, including Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens, are not recommended on a kidney diet due to their potassium content.
For example, 1 cup of cooked spinach contains around 839 milligrams of potassium, which is nearly half of the daily recommended amount for someone with stage 3 chronic kidney disease.
Opt for lower potassium green vegetables such as green beans, asparagus, lettuce, and celery to limit your daily potassium intake.
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The 20 Best Foods For People With Kidney Disease
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Kidney disease is a common problem affecting about 10% of the worlds population .
The kidneys are small but powerful bean-shaped organs that perform many important functions.
They are responsible for filtering waste products, releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure, balancing fluids in the body, producing urine, and many other essential tasks .
There are various ways in which these vital organs can become damaged.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common risk factors for kidney disease. However, obesity, smoking, genetics, gender, and age can also increase the risk .
Uncontrolled blood sugar and high blood pressure cause damage to blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to function optimally .
When the kidneys arent working properly, waste builds up in the blood, including waste products from food (
Why Low Phosphorus Meats Are Important
If you do eat meat and have kidney disease, it is important to choose low phosphorus meats. Meat are a major source of phosphorus in our diet. A high phosphorus diet can damage your heart and bones.
Importantly, high phosphorus levels are also associated with faster progression of kidney disease and higher mortality.
Eating low phosphorus meats can help keep phosphorus levels in check!
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What Grams Of Protein Really Means
This is a very common area of misunderstanding.
In nutrition science, grams of protein refers to the number of grams of the macronutrient protein, not the number of grams of a protein-containing food like meat or eggs.
An 8-ounce serving of beef weighs 226 grams but only contains 61 grams of protein. Similarly, a large egg weighs 46 grams but only packs 6 grams of protein.
If youre at a healthy weight, dont lift weights, and dont exercise much, aiming for 0.360.6 grams per pound is a reasonable estimate.
This amounts to:
Monitor Weight And Eat A Healthy Diet
People who are overweight or obese are at risk for a number of health conditions that can damage the kidneys. These include diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.
A healthy diet thats low in sodium, processed meats, and other kidney-damaging foods may help reduce the risk of kidney damage. Focus on eating fresh ingredients that are naturally low-sodium, such as cauliflower, blueberries, fish, whole grains, and more.
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How Does Chronic Kidney Disease Happen
Chronic kidney disease, the most common condition involving the kidneys, develops over time when the organs are damaged, most often as a result of diabetes and hypertension. Its a sneakily gradual loss of kidney function, very different from acute renal injury. Acute renal injury, in which the kidneys suddenly stop working, can occur in a matter of days or hours.
In CKD, the kidneys have been structurally and/or functionally abnormal for at least three months, and arent able to filter blood properly. As the damage increases, patients move through a number of stages until, in the last one, stage 5, kidneys are functioning at less than 15% of their normal capacity. This is the cutoff for the clinical definition of renal failure.
At that point, known as end-stage renal disease , dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes can build up in the body. To stay alive, a patient will need dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis, which is the mechanical filtering of blood either inside or outside the body, can replace the kidneys filtering process to some extent but it doesnt address the signaling functions or the vitamin D conversion that the kidneys can no longer perform.
When the kidneys fail, the rest of the body suffers. CKD can increase the risks of overaccumulation of fluid in the lungs, malnutrition, heart disease, weak bones, and a dysregulated immune system.
Top 5 Low Phosphorus Meats
Here are some of good low phosphorus meats. Remember, all kinds of meat, poultry, fish and seafood have phosphorus in them. Most natural meats have about 200mg of phosphorus in a 3 oz portion. Any kind of unprocessed, natural animal protein can likely fit into a low phosphorus diet.
The keys to eating low phosphorus meats are:
- Choose meats without phosphorus additives
- Eat the right portion size. All meat has some phosphorus in it. Even a low phosphorus meat can become a high phosphorus meat if you eat enough of it! Ask your dietitian what is right for you.
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When Kidneys Require An Er Visit
Most chronic kidney ailments or congenital disabilities are detected in children by a Pediatrician. For adults, the protocol isnt as clear cut. Most symptoms of kidney distress signal our bodies as a symptom of another problem.
The most common reason we see patients in the ER for kidney distress is for kidney stones. Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract.
Kidney stones cause severe pain of the abdomen, groin, or genitals, or side. You may also experience:
About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes .
Works Cited
Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Mar. 2019, www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/2019-national-facts.html.
37 Million American Adults Now Estimated to Have Chronic Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation, 27 Sept. 2019, www.kidney.org/news/37-million-american-adults-now-estimated-to-have-chronic-kidney-disease
Choi, Justin. 8 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy. Healthline, 1 Feb. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health.
Best Supplements For Kidneys
According to the American Kidney Fund, approximately 37 million Americans suffer from kidney disease, but many are unaware as it doesnt present any symptoms in the early stages. While adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet will go a long way to reducing your chances of getting Chronic Kidney Disease , there are some vitamins and minerals you can take to support kidney health, such as:
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Blood Tests For Kidney Disease
The best measure of kidney function is the glomerular filtration rate , which can be estimated from a blood test that checks the blood for creatinine .
A normal GFR result is higher than 90 mL/min/1.73 m2. If the result is persistently less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 for at least three months, this confirms that the person has chronic kidney disease.
Blood tests can reveal other abnormalities of kidney function, such as:
- high levels of acids
- anaemia
- high levels of potassium
- low levels of salt
- changes to the levels of calcium and phosphate.
What To Eat For Healthy Kidneys
Not enough people pay attention to their kidney health.
This is a problem because kidney disease is a huge issue in the USA and its incidence is growing. Approximately 26 million Americans are affected by chronic kidney disease.
Your kidneys are very delicate organs. They are easily harmed and sometimes the harm cannot be repaired. People most prone to kidney problems are diabetics people with high blood pressure and those with heart disease. Other conditions that raise the risk of kidney problems include obesity, autoimmune diseases, urinary tract infections and other infections. People who suffer with gout can end up with kidney problems because their kidneys are forced to deal with high levels of uric acid.
If you fall into one of these categories, its important to have regular blood tests from your doctor to check on the health of your kidneys. Its also good to know that there are several foods that help to keep the kidneys healthy.
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How To Improve Kidney Health
Your kidneys are responsible for flushing toxins out of our body by filtering blood and expelling excess water and other impurities into the bladder, where they are expelled in urine. By keeping your kidneys healthy, your body will be able to properly expel waste and regulate blood pressure, so make sure to follow these tips if you want to keep your kidneys working better for longer:
Monitor Your Blood Pressure:
High blood pressure increases the strain on your kidneys especially when combined with other health issues like diabetes so you should take steps to keep your blood pressure within safe limits. According to the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure should be 120/80 or lower and readings of 140/90 and above could indicate hypertension, so consult your doctor if you consistently get blood pressure readings at this range.
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Diabetes And Kidney Disease
About 20 to 30 per cent of people with diabetes develop a type of kidney disease called diabetic nephropathy. This is a serious disease and may worsen other diabetic complications such as nerve and eye damage, as well as increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Diabetic nephropathy is the main cause of kidney failure .
Chronic Kidney Disease: How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy
Working hard to filter out and prevent buildup of fluid and waste, your kidneys are your body’s lifeline to good health. Besides acting as a filtration system, your kidneys play a key role in bone and heart health, as well as in the balance of acid and alkaline in your body. What happens when they start to fall short at performing these important tasks? Once damaged, kidneys have a difficult time sweeping away the waste and fluid formed from digestion and tissue turnover, causing a buildup in the blood stream. This leads to complications such as high blood pressure, anemia, weakened bones, declined nutritional status, as well as possible nerve damage.
A gradual decline in kidney function is known as chronic kidney disease, and there are five stages depending on how well the kidneys are working. Because the kidneys are unable to filter out waste at full capacity, diet becomes extremely important. Those with chronic kidney disease may need to limit protein and fluids, in addition to restricting salt, phosphorus and potassium. A registered dietitian nutritionist can help in making these diet changes a success, especially if you have other health conditions to consider. By working with an RDN, you’ll learn how to get a balance of important nutrients in your diet.
Both Mind and Action
Real food tip: Make a vibrantly-colored, antioxidant-rich fruit salad with raspberries, strawberries, grapes and blueberries. Toss with fresh lime juice and chopped mint.
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