The doctor will be in charge of telling you which are the specific foods that harm you. In addition, it is convenient to work with a nutritionist to create an eating plan that meets your needs.
The kidneys are the organs that are responsible for filtering toxins and minerals found in the blood. They remove waste and additional water to make urine. This is why they are so important to the human body, and we should help them stay healthy so that they can do their jobs well.
The best way to know the health of the kidneys is to have a medical checkup. Early-stage kidney disease may have no symptoms, so tests are needed to detect it.
Along with the guidelines and treatment recommended by the doctor, you can implement healthy lifestyle habits and some foods that can help keep your kidneys healthy.
How should we take care of the kidneys
Important advice
For starters, one of the best ways to prevent kidney disease is to consume enough water throughout the day. Although this study by Victoria Hospital in London (Ontario) links the consumption of more water with a beneficial effect on kidney function, it is still unknown whether it can benefit patients with chronic kidney disease.
On the other hand, alcoholic beverages should be avoided as much as possible. A study by Soochow University in China suggests that high alcohol consumption increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. Therefore, it is advisable not to abuse these drinks so that the kidneys are healthy for many years.
Other studies, such as this one conducted by Yale University, raise the possibility that elevation of oxalate may contribute to the progression of Chronic Kidney Failure and systemic inflammation.
Foods to avoid are all foods with high levels of oxalate. For example, beets, spinach, chard, soybeans, wheat germ, peanuts, and chocolate.
However, if you are predisposed to stones, it is very important that you find out what type they are. The doctor will be in charge of telling you which are the specific foods that harm you. In addition, it is convenient to work with a nutritionist to create an eating plan that meets your needs.
Foods to prevent kidney stones
Among the diseases that can affect the proper functioning of the kidneys are the dreaded and painful stones. In this case it is essential to go to the specialist to examine the situation, size and origin of the stones.
Since not all stones are of the same type, individual treatment for kidney stones depends on the type of stone. The most common is formed from calcium and oxalate. For this reason, it is so important that a doctor recommends which foods you should take in each case.
According to this research carried out by the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (Ohio), it is likely that it recommends the consumption of fruit, such as citrus fruits, since they have a high content of citrate, which is the main inhibitor of crystallization.
Second, urinary potassium excretion decreases calciuria. Many fruits are rich in potassium (watermelon, melon, orange, tangerine, grapes, and banana). The watermelon is a fruit that has a lot of water, so is usually recommended in these cases.
On the other hand, the dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been long used in traditional medicine for its properties diuretic, anti – angiogenic, anti – rheumatic and anti – inflammatory activity but antiurolítica and its significant components have not been fully studied.
In this study carried out by Azad Islamic University (Iran), the anti-crystallization activities of taraxasterol, a compound of dandelion, and its antiurolytic effect have been investigated and compared. However, kidney stone formation is not just a crystallization phenomenon, so the dandelion effect requires further investigation.
Magnesium for the kidneys
Magnesium deserves a separate mention. It is believed that this substance could reduce the production of kidney stones, according to this study by the Nordsjællands Hospital (Denmark). In addition, it would be a good idea to consult and learn what foods can provide us with the necessary amounts of this mineral.
If the doctor considers it appropriate, we can try to make it part of our daily diet and thus be able to keep the stones away from our kidneys. In addition, the specialist’s instructions for the correct treatment of kidney diseases must be followed, and the recommended diet should be taken as support for this.
