Your kidneys filter at least 4 ounces of blood per minute. They remove wastes, produce urine, remove excess acid, and help balance water, salt, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus in your blood. Kidneys also produce hormones that help control blood pressure, produce red blood cells, and maintain strong bones.
Your risk of kidney disease increases with
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Untreated urinary tract infections
- Family history of kidney failure
- Dehydration
- Exposure to toxins, including lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, uranium, aristolochic acid, melamine, and pesticides
Your risk of kidney disease decreases with
- Regular physical activity
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Getting adequate sleep
- Not smoking
- Limiting alcohol intake
- Managing stress
- Good hydration
- Making healthy food choices that include fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, whole foods instead of refined or processed foods, baking, broiling, and air frying instead of deep frying, and avoiding excess sugar and salt.
- If kidney disease does set in, seek out professional nutrition advice, as some healthy foods would need to be restricted.
References
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/prevention
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work
Soderland, Peter et al. “Chronic kidney disease associated with environmental toxins and exposures.” Advances in chronic kidney disease vol. 17,3 (2010): 254-64. doi:10.1053/j.ackd.2010.03.011
Vervaet, Benjamin A et al. “Environmental toxin-induced acute kidney injury.” Clinical kidney journal vol. 10,6 (2017): 747-758. doi:10.1093/ckj/sfx062