– Debbie Cotton, Ad.Dip.Nat
The kidneys are an amazing organ of the body that are so widely overlooked and ignored. They facilitate very important processes such as filtering our blood that rids us of waste and toxins, maintaining blood pressure, fluid and electrolyte balance and on top of that the adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys, which in turn affect bodily function through hormone control.
There are many diseases that can occur in the kidneys that can affect the whole body. Diabetes can cause damage to the small tubules in the kidneys, resulting in eventual failure of them. They can be hit by infection, damaged by kidney stones, subject to cancers and damaged by prescription medication use. They may also be indicated in increased blood pressure, and the adrenal glands may be prone to dysfunction and burn out. So what can we do to protect our kidneys?
The most important thing anyone can do is to drink lots of good clean water. Two litres (8 glasses) a day should be the target to aim for. This supports the kidneys in their filtration process, and helps to keep everything in great form. Carbonated soft drinks, black tea, alcohol and coffee should be avoided or kept to a minimum, as they all have a slight effect on the kidney by altering the filtration rate, allowing you to lose more water that necessary. Drinking lots of water will also decrease your risk of developing kidney stones. Kidney infections can be kept to a minimum by being aware of any signs or symptoms of a urinary tract infection, as these can spread upwards to the kidneys. Any symptoms of burning, painful urination, frequent urge to urinate with possible presence of blood or cloudy urine should be treated straight away to reduce the risk of spreading infection up the urethras in to the kidneys. Always get professional advice in these incidences, whether from your Naturopath or GP.
Limiting sodium intake is another important way of trying to keep a good electrolyte balance in your body, taking the pressure off the kidneys. Wherever sodium goes in the body, water follows. If you suffer from any retention of water, or puffiness under the eyes in the morning, try increasing your water intake and decreasing your sodium intake. Salt is already in a lot of our processed foods, so when adding it as a condiment it should be used sparingly and only when necessary.
There are lots of herbs that support the kidney function, one of the most popular and widely used is dandelion tea. Dandelion helps to increase the output of the kidneys, increasing the filtration rate of the blood which helps to remove the body of waste. The great thing about dandelion is that it also contains potassium, which is an electrolyte that your body can easily become deficient in if you are taking any diuretic medications.
Diets that are too high in proteins and too low in other nutrients may in turn cause damage to the kidney by making too many waste products of metabolism known as urea and ketones. High amounts of urea in the blood may lead to conditions like gout or gout crystals in the kidney. Ketone bodies, which are a bi-product of excessive protein metabolism (as found in fad high protein diets) can also have a dangerous and detrimental effect on the functioning of the kidney. Eating a diet that includes all of the food groups in moderation is the best way to avoid this from happening.
Using stress management techniques can help to support the function of the adrenal glands and prevent them from burn out. Gentle exercise, stress release therapies and relaxation techniques all help to keep the adrenal hormones in balance by supporting the body to get back to a normal state of functioning.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, they view the kidney as a house for a persons vitality or Jing. Treatments of acupuncture or acupressure may help to support and tonify the vitality of someone through looking at the energetics of kidney function. There are many more natural health remedies to support the functioning of the kidneys.
If you are interested in finding out a bit more about how you can help to prevent kidney disease, speak to your qualified Naturopath for a treatment plan that is tailored to your own needs.
