If you do not have good health, you cannot study, work, play and enjoy your beautiful life. As a result, along with trying to work to earn money, you should pay more attention to your health, including your kidney. It is an essential part of your body which helps remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. Nowadays, because of the polluted environment and water, stress, especially an imbalanced diet, you can quickly get health conditions related to the kidney. In our article today on Effective Remedies, we will talk about the bad daily habits that are killing your kidneys. After reading it, let us know about your thoughts by leaving your comments.
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Put A Stop To These Daily Habits That Are Killing Your Kidneys
1. Smoking
As we know, smoking does harm on our healthy, including our kidneys. According to the National Kidney Foundation, smoking can lead to the uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure which causes the kidney disease[1]. Moreover, for people who have kidney disease, smoking makes kidney disease worse by lowering the blood flow[1]. A study published in 2010 shows the strong relationship between heavy cigarette smoking and a higher risk of chronic kidney disease after 4 years working with 198 patients[2]. To support the bad effects on the kidney, PREVEND (Prevention of REnal and Vascular ENd stage Disease) Study indicates that current smokers had more albuminuria and lower creatinine clearance, so their kidney function is worse, in comparison with non-smokers[3]. In particular, according to a team of researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, tobacco smoke badly affects the kidney function of adolescents in the US and these effects on kidney function begin in childhood[4]. Therefore, we can see that not only the smokers but also the secondhand-smokers can have the risk of reducing kidney function.
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2. Drinking Alcohol
To protect your kidney, it is necessary to limit to drink alcohol. The National Kidney Foundation says that drinking too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, then cause kidney disease[5]. In addition, high consumption of alcohol leads to liver disease which impairs the rate of blood flow to kidney[5] A study about the impact of alcohol on kidney function finds out the association between too much alcohol and negative effects on kidney health such as the body’s fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balance[6]. About the kidney stones, drinking alcohol is not the direct source of these stones, but it causes other diseases which raise the risk of kidney stones. For example, according to the American Addiction Center, drinking alcohol causes obesity and obesity increases remarkably the risk of kidney stones[7].
3. Consuming Too Much Salt
An easy way to prevent kidney disease is avoiding consuming too much salt. A study in 2017 claims that high salt intake can cause renal tubular injury, then leads to chronic kidney disease[8]. Moreover, a study published in 2002 states that high salt intake badly affects glomerular hemodynamics, especially on elderly, obese, diabetic[9]. According to the National Kidney Foundation, eating food with too much salt is one of the possible causes of kidney stones[10]. Additionally, according to Action on Salt (formerly known as Consensus Action on Salt & Health, CASH) which is a group concerned with salt and its effects on health, based at Queen Mary University of London and supported by 24 expert scientific members, a high consumption of salt increases the amount of protein in the urine which reduces kidney function[11].
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4. Not Drink Enough Water
Drinking enough water every day is good not only for your skin but also for your health, including the kidney. Water plays an essential role in ensuring the function of the body. According to the National Kidney Foundation, lack of water can make wastes and acids stay in the body and clog the kidneys with muscle proteins (myoglobin), so hurts the kidney[12]. Insufficient water is also the factor of kidney stones and urinary tract infections[12]. The researchers in Australia and Canada recommend people to drink enough water daily because water is beneficial for clearing sodium, urea and waste products from the body, then reducing the risk of developing chronic kidney disease[13]. According to the National Health Service, women should drink eight 200ml glasses and men should drink ten 200ml glasses of fluid each day[13]. However, the amount of water that we drink every day also depends on sex, age, weather, especially diseases we are having or particular condition like pregnancy and breast feeding[13].
Read more: 10 unexpected health benefits of drinking warm water
5. Having A High Protein Diet
Our body needs protein, but too much protein is bad for your kidney. The researchers, led by Dr. Shalini Reddy from the University of Chicago point out that having a low carbohydrate but high protein diet, make the risk of kidney stones higher because of the increased acid load to the kidneys[14]. Moreover, according to the researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), for women who already have mildly reduced kidney function, there is an association between high-protein diets and kidney function decline[15]. The bad source of protein often comes from red meat. Therefore, it is essential to get protein from beans, nuts, fish, skinless poultry, lean beef, pork, and low-fat dairy products[16].
6. Getting Poor Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), it is essential to have enough sleep with good quality[17]. Unfortunately, millions of people have to suffer from lack of sleep, and this number is increasing. Not having enough sleep can shorten your life by affecting badly not only your physical health such as heart disease or obesity but also your mental health like depression[18]. Dr. Ciaran McMullan from Brigham and Women's Hospital shows that sleep deprivation and sleep disorders cause a higher risk for developing chronic kidney disease[19]. Furthermore, a study conducted by Dr. Ana Ricardo, associate professor of medicine in the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and Kristen Knutson, associate professor of neurology and preventive medicine at Northwestern University indicate that lack of sleep makes kidney function worsen[20].
Read more: top 14 natural home remedies for sleep disorders in adults
7. Taking Painkillers Regularly
The painkiller is helpful when you want to relieve the pain, but using it too much can damage the kidney function. According to the Havard Medical School, NSAIDs, including the COX-2 drugs, can cause kidney failure through some signs such as unexplained nausea or vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, and weakness, and changes in urine output[21]. To support this argument, the National Kidney Foundation suggests that you should avoid using too much these medicines, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and higher dose aspirin because they may be the factors of chronic kidney disease known as chronic interstitial nephritis[22]. Therefore, just use the painkiller when we need it and ask the doctor for its usage before taking it, especially if you want to use it for a long time to make sure that it does not cause any bad effects on your health.
8. Having A High Phosphate Diet
According to the Havard Medical School, you should avoid the food rich in phosphate because this kind of food can contribute to kidney stones[23]. A study in 2012 proves that the development of chronic kidney disease might come from phosphate overload and hyperphosphatemia[24].
9. Having High Consumption Of Sugar
The National Kidney Foundation advises you to avoid consuming a large amount of sugar to reduce the risk of kidney stones[25]. According to a study published in 2013, consumption of sugar-sweetened soda and punch makes the risk of kidney stones higher[26]. Additionally, the American Diabetes Association claims that having calories in meals from any source (including sugar) leads to weight gain and weight gain increases your risk for type 2 diabetes which is the cause of kidney disease also called diabetic kidney disease[27]. The reason is that for people who are suffering from diabetes, they may have high blood pressure which damages the blood vessels in your kidneys, so the kidney cannot work well as usually[28].
In summary, according to many studies, it is necessary to avoid these habits that are killing your kidneys to have better health in general and the kidney function in particular. Besides, it is recommended for you to do exercise and go to the doctor regularly to check your health condition and cure the diseases as fast as possible if you have.
All content provided is for informational & educational purposes. Moreover, the health condition of each person is different. Therefore, we recommend you consult a healthcare professional to check your health and have a reasonable diet.
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