Habits That Harm Our Kidneys

Replace animal proteins and soft drinks with vegetable proteins and fruit juices or water to avoid blood circulation problems and kidney failure.

The kidneys are part of the vital organs of our body. They are wonderful and very sophisticated purifying machines.

Every day, they filter a large quantity of liters of blood, thus separating 2 liters of waste from excess water. We must take care of it at all costs. But, is this really the case? What mistakes do we make every day that harm our kidneys?

1. Drink little water

You probably already know it, but ask yourself the question. How many glasses of water do you drink each day on average? Keep in mind that poor kidney hydration can cause long-term problems.

Their main function is to drain metabolic waste from the body, thereby balancing the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in the body. If we don’t drink enough water, kidney flow decreases and toxins build up in the blood.

We can prevent this by simply drinking between a liter and a liter and a half of water per day. If this is difficult for you, add a slice of lemon to it, it will brighten up your drink.

2. Refrain from peeing

We have all held back from going to the bathroom simply because of a lack of time. But how long did you hold back the most? One hour, two hours?

You should know that when our bladder is full of urine for a long time, complications can appear in the urinary tract.

Hypertrophy, hydronephrosis (increased pressure of urine on the kidneys) and other kidney diseases are the result of poor hydration. It is easy to avoid them, drink water.

3. Bad eating habits

3.1 Consuming too much sodium

The main source of sodium is extremely well known: it is salt. But why is it so harmful for our body? It forces the kidneys to work excessively.

The latter have to evacuate the salt but this requires such energy from them that in the long term, many problems can result. So reduce – or even eliminate – the amount of salt you put in your dishes.

3.2 Too much animal protein

Animal protein is bad for the kidneys, like all foods that are high in fat. Gradually, they have more and more difficulty in fulfilling their function : they struggle to filter the blood properly.

Try to limit or replace, where possible, animal protein with vegetable protein.

3.3 Soft drinks

Carbonated drinks are very bad for the health of the kidneys. Unfortunately, they are very consumed, especially by the youngest. It is therefore recommended to limit them or even avoid them altogether. In the long term, they can lead to chronic kidney failure or kidney stones.

3.4 Tobacco and alcohol

Alcohol and tobacco, toxins for the body, are harmful substances that cause kidney disease and prevent them from working properly. Avoid as much as possible, especially if you have hypertension or diabetes.

3.5 Genetically modified foods

We know very well that we cannot know the exact origin of everything we consume: transgenic corn, fruits and vegetables produced in laboratories, adulterated meats from genetically modified foods given to animals to make them grow faster. These are dangerous elements that we do not know enough about and which damage our kidneys.

Always try to get organic food or healthy and natural food, the origin of which you know. This will prevent you from unpleasant surprises.

4. High blood pressure

Hypertension causes very significant damage to the proper functioning of the kidneys. The blood flows there in a different way, the filtration of toxins does not take place so easily and little by little the kidneys atrophy until a major problem arises.

Regularly checking your blood pressure is not complicated and it can prevent problems. Your doctor can inform you of this type of practice.

5. The use of drugs

As much as possible, you should control your consumption of drugs because they can be very dangerous for the kidneys. They prevent them from functioning properly and cause long term negative effects.

It is obvious that taking a drug is never a pleasure but a necessity. However, it is important to always choose the drugs that are less aggressive for the kidneys. Regularly ask your doctor to check these vital organs.

6. A sedentary life harms our kidneys

How many hours do you sit per day? Think about it. Sedentarism affects not only the health of our kidneys but also other basic functions that can fail us to the point of making us sick.

It is easy to compensate for the lack of physical activity that is harmful to the kidneys: we can move, walk, cycle, etc. Think about it. If you play sports with a friend or loved one, it will make the activity even easier for you. And your kidneys will thank you for it.

And above all, don’t forget: take a small bottle of water with you!

Try to improve your lifestyle and eating habits as much as possible. Small changes in your diet can do a lot for the health of your kidneys: consume a lot of water, avoid salt, fatty or very sweet dishes …

And above all, see your doctor regularly for routine checks.