The Kidneys and How They Work

Table of Contents

4 Natural Ways to Filter Metabolic Waste from the Blood

Kidney disease is on the rise in the United States affecting more than 10% of all adults. That translates to 20 million Americans who are suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) at varying levels of seriousness. –Tragically, over 90 percent of people with CKD don’t even know they have the disease.^{^[1]}

This is because those with kidney disease tend not to experience symptoms until the very late stages. By then, the kidneys are failing and there are large amounts of protein in the urine.

That is why CKD is sometimes called a “silent disease.” Many people, including non-diabetics, rarely feel sick until chronic kidney disease is advanced. When symptoms do develop, they may include:

Pinterest
Fatigue
Itchy skin
Ankle swelling
Puffy face
Back pain
Brain fog
Any change in urination including frequency, urgency, volume, or color changes

While diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are the leading causes of CKD, other risk factors for developing this disease include:^{^[2]}

Anyone over 60 years of age
Those with a family history of kidney disease
Obesity
Autoimmune diseases
Urinary tract infections
Other types of infections

When your kidneys are not working as well as they should, waste and fluid buildup in your body. Over time, the waste and extra fluid can cause heart, bone and other health problems. Sometimes people attribute these physical symptoms of kidney disease to other conditions.

But early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.

No matter how cautiously we live and eat, we are constantly absorbing toxins through the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. It is essential to remove these poisons in order to avoid catastrophic illness.

Here are some simple ways to support the kidney’s ability to filter metabolic waste from the blood.

Here are my top 4 natural ways to filter metabolic waste from the blood and protect your precious kidneys from CKD:

1. Bring blood sugar down.

Do this by reducing all types of carbohydrates by up to 25%.^{^[3]} Eat a low-fat, low-protein diet rich in fresh, organic fruits and vegetables along with healthy nuts and seeds.

2. Stay hydrated.

There are two important tips for staying hydrated. First, drink water at room temperature, so your body doesn’t have to heat it up in order to metabolize it.

Cold drinks chill your internal organs and weaken them, especially the kidneys.

Second, sip mouthfuls at a time instead of taking big gulps. If you chug too much water at once, then your body doesn’t actually absorb all of it. Most of it will run right through you. So, get a package of straws and sip your water. You can even pick up a water bottle with built-in straw.

A common question is, “How much water should I drink each day?” You should drink half your bodyweight in ounces in water. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, then you should drink 100 ounces of water per day.

How can you reach this goal? Quite simply by spreading out your ounces of water throughout the day, before, during and after meals. This is also better for the kidneys. When you drink a lot of water all at once the kidneys have to work harder to maintain proper body chemistry.

Your kidneys are a natural purification system that can operate efficiently only if the volume of water flowing through them is sufficient to carry away the wastes. Drink half your weight in water today…and tomorrow!

Tip: Taking a lot of medications without drinking enough water could put a strain on your kidneys, whose job it is to remove waste from the blood. Water helps to flush out these wastes (another plus is that it can lower your chances of getting kidney stones and infections).

3. Sit in the sun for approximately 15 minutes a day.

Sunlight should be the primary source of vitamin D for most people. Low vitamin D levels are linked to early signs of kidney disease.^{^[4]} Patients with kidney disease have a high incidence of deficiency of nutritional vitamin D.

Healthy kidneys are rich with vitamin D receptors and play a major role in turning vitamin D into its active form. This helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorus, minerals that are used for healthy bones and teeth. When kidneys fail, their ability to activate vitamin D is lost.

The best food sources for vitamin D are fatty fish including salmon, sardines, cod, tuna and halibut. If you are unable to sit in sun, then use supplemental vitamin D3. Optimal blood levels should be from 50-80 ng/ml.

4. Save your kidneys with vitamin B1.

This vitamin, also known as thiamine, is a natural nutrient that has dramatic effects on the body’s ability to retain albumin.^{^[5]} Albumin is an important protein formed in the liver and needed by the body. When the kidneys are working properly, albumin is retained in the blood with only a small amount present in the urine. But when the kidneys are damaged, greater amounts of albumin leak into the urine.

Thiamine was also found to reverse early-stage kidney disease in some type 2 diabetics.^{^[6]}

Essentially, this vitamin is involved in the process of getting energy from food. Don’t forget your medicine in the form of food! All foods contain a small amount of vitamin B1. Many foods contain substantial amounts. Some of these include:

Legumes
Beef and pork
Brewer’s yeast
Whole grains
Organic milk
Nuts and seeds
Oranges
Asparagus

Yet there is a very simple reason for this high risk of thiamine deficiency despite the widespread availability of vitamin B1 in foods. That reason is food processing.

Vitamin B1 is among the nutrients most prone to destruction by our modern food production system. At each step along the way, from storage though refining up through cooking, we lose a big portion of the vitamin B1 content of foods.^{^[7]}

Even if you are taking B1 supplements, include some vitamin B1 rich foods, such as Brewer’s yeast – the food product with the highest concentration of B1, in your meal plan. Brewer’s yeast can be taken as a supplement or added to many recipes.

Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin B1 as well. Asparagus is used as a diuretic, has anti-edema properties and acts as a cleanser for the kidneys.

Follow the above tips and take good care of your kidneys to prevent the risk of developing kidney problems. So, reduce your carb intake, while sipping water in the sunshine and snacking on raw asparagus.

Sources:
^{^[1]} http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156423/
^{^[2]} http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/kidney_factsheet.pdf
^{^[3]} Kirby RK. Low-carbohydrate dieting. Am Fam Physician. 2006 Jun 1; 73(11):1896, 1901.
^{^[4]} http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/571558
^{^[5]} http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081208092149.htm
^{^[6]} http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/vitamin_b1_could/
^{^[7]} http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=100