📷 Your kidneys work 24/7 to keep the body healthy by filtering out toxins and extra fluid and regulating blood pressure. Damage to these vital organs could be irreversible, yet so many are unaware of the day-to-day habits that can deteriorate kidney health. So what should you avoid doing and which healthy habits should you adopt?
Processed food has a higher content of sodium and phosphorus as additives and in addition, they are calorie-dense. The health implications are high blood pressure risk from sodium intake and obesity risk from higher intake of calories. High blood pressure and obesity negatively affect kidney health, but we must remember they are slow burners and give us time to correct.
High protein intake has a negative effect on kidney function by altering the microcirculation of kidney blood flow and also by increasing the acid burden of the body. It may be good to know what is too much protein. The amount of protein is adjusted for the weight of the body: Recommended as 0.8 g/kg of body weight. We are also learning that a plant-based protein diet may be more beneficial for patients with moderate kidney disease.
All painkillers cannot be put into one basket and time matters too for the risk. Kidney cancer risk is linked to non-prescription use (not under doctor’s supervision) of Acetaminophen, a component of the medicine we commonly consume for fever treatment. In such a context, dose and frequency are hard to define. Use for more than 10 years is reported to increase risk. There was no risk linked to other pain killers and also when used with physician supervision.
Variation in intrinsic kidney functions with the circadian rhythm is described. This includes kidney blood flow, how the kidney handles salt and water and also hormone secretion for blood production. But we do not know of the direct clinical impact of disturbance of circadian rhythm on kidney health.
It is good to know the source of sugars first; beyond sweets, chocolates and desserts, packaged juice and soda are common sources in the modern context. A higher intake from these sources is a major driver of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and direct kidney injury in certain contexts. In general “modernisation” of life has been associated with progressively higher sugar intake.