Time to be Kind for Kidneys- Protect Nephrological Health with Expert Nutritional Guidelines

Protect Nephrological Health with Expert Nutritional Guidelines

Kidneys are the vital organ of the human body and are located at the bottom of the rib cage. Kidneys are responsible for performing several functions such as filtration of waste products and other impurities that are stored in the bladder and later allow it to pass away through urine. In addition to this, they also regulate pH, salt and potassium levels in your body. Thus, maintaining kidney health is important as the removal of harmful toxins will help your body to produce hormones that keep your body functioning properly as the kidneys make two main hormones, vitamin D and erythropoietin
So, today we bring you some of the expert nutritional guidelines that help you to make your kidneys happy and healthy. Just swear by these simple tips and notice changes in your nephrological health in no time.

Cut the sodium: Sodium, commonly present in table salt, can reduce the ability of your kidneys to remove the water from your body if taken in high amounts. As extra sodium intake can cause several problems such as your ankles to tend to swollen up, high blood pressure, shortening of your breath and also build-up fluid around your heart and lungs. The recommended value of sodium is less than two grams per day. So, to make your kidneys healthy try to limit your sodium intake and avoid high sodium seasonings such as soy sauce, processed and fast food as they are filled with the sodium content. Prefer home-cooked food and try organic herbs and spices as they are low in salt. Read out the labels of the products and choose them wisely.

Reduce the intake of potassium: Potassium is critical for many biochemical cellular reactions. It is ingested daily and renal excretion is regulated by aldosterone hormone. Potassium is also lost in feces and sweat. Most of the body’s potassium is found intracellularly. Generally, kidneys are responsible for excreting 90% of potassium intake from the body. A high amount of potassium can cause chronic kidney diseases, nausea or vomiting, pain in the chest, shortness of breath and heart attacks. When kidneys fail they can no longer remove excess potassium, so the level builds up in the body. High potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia, which may occur in people with advanced stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). To reduce the intake of potassium, check out your consumption of salt and salt alternatives, keep an eye on the consumption of potassium-rich foods like bananas, nuts, beans, milk and potatoes. For the proper functioning of the kidneys, a person should consume 3500–4700 milligrams of potassium.

Limit phosphorus: The correct consumption of calcium and phosphorus helps in making your bones healthy and strong. Healthy kidneys help in removing excess phosphorus from your body but chronic kidney diseases hamper the functioning of your kidneys while making it weak to remove phosphorus from the body. Excess of phosphorus can take away calcium from the bones and make it weak. Phosphorus and calcium imbalance can cause the risk of various heart diseases, calcium deposits in blood vessels, weak lungs, eyes and heart. Daily recommended value of phosphorous is 2.5 to 4.5 milligrams. Limit your consumption of phosphorus by keeping an eye on the processed foods, cheese, frozen meats and bottled drinks.

Drink plenty of healthy fluids: Consuming water can help in flush out the toxins from the body and ensure that no infection passes through kidney and urinary tract bladder. The optimal consumption of water is eight glasses per day. Dehydration can make hard for the blood vessels to flow out toxicity from the body which further causes kidney damage. Apart from water, you can also add coconut water in your diet for the proper and smooth functioning of the body.

Eat a healthy diet: A kidney-friendly diet helps in the proper functioning of your kidneys and keeps you away from various kidney diseases. So, choose foods that are easy on your kidneys such as berries, fruits, egg whites, garlic and nuts. You can also follow a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet which is rich in fruits, veggies, using low-fat dairy products, nuts, and whole grains. This diet is specifically designed to prevent and control hypertension from heart, lungs and blood. DASH diet helps in relieving hypertension as it decreases blood pressure, lowering the risk for heart diseases and stroke.

Over to you
Being a crucial part of your body, kidneys require proper attention and special care. Follow the above-written guideline and be more careful of your eating habits and to make a way for healthy kidneys.