What changes will occur in the body of people who eat kidneys frequently?

Chinese people are very fond of various animal offal. For example, the famous Beijing snack - luzhu, is made with pig lungs, pig large intestines and other offal. The pork offal porridge in Guangzhou and the mutton offal soup in the northwest also have unique flavors.

In addition to the unique deliciousness, many people also believe that animal offal has the benefit of "like replenishes like". For example, eating animal kidneys can nourish the kidneys and strengthen the yang, which makes many people love "kidneys" very much.

However, what are the nutritional properties of kidneys? Is it good for the body to eat kidneys regularly?

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What nutrients do kidneys contain?

Kidneys are the kidneys of animals. As an animal organ, they also have the advantages of animal food (meat).

For example, the most common pork kidney, one fresh pork kidney contains an average of 16.0g of protein, 8g of fat, and a variety of vitamins, minerals, etc. In the past when there was not much meat to eat, eating pork kidneys could help supplement high-quality protein, fat, and energy, and was indeed a very good food.

However, as people eat more and more meat, kidneys have some unhealthy problems, mainly including:

1

Saturated fat

Kidneys are delicious, but they are usually high in saturated fatty acids, with about 1/3 of their fat being saturated fat.

Excessive intake of saturated fatty acids will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Currently, the World Health Organization and others recommend that the daily saturated fatty acid intake of adults and children should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake.

At present, about one-third of the residents in my country exceed the recommended range for saturated fat intake, so attention should be paid to controlling saturated fat intake.

One third of our saturated fat intake comes from animal meat, especially various animal offal. Therefore, from the perspective of controlling saturated fat, we should pay attention to eating less animal kidneys.

2

Purine

The purine content of animal offal is usually high. For example, the common liver, kidney, heart, brain, pancreas, etc., the purine content of these foods is generally more than 200 mg per 100 grams, such as pork kidneys more than 300 mg, pork liver is also close to 300 mg. Excessive consumption may lead to increased uric acid levels in the body and increase the risk of gout.

3

Heavy Metals

Animal kidneys may accumulate some heavy metals, such as mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, etc. These heavy metals are harmful to the human body. It is also not good to eat animal offal such as kidneys frequently.

Of course, you don't have to worry too much. Just buy qualified kidneys that have passed quarantine and thoroughly wash and soak them before eating. In addition, most of us don't eat much kidneys, and we don't have to eat them every day, so you don't have to worry too much. You can eat them, but there is no need to eat them every day.

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Kidneys can enhance sexual performance?

One reason kidneys are so popular among people is that they are said to be an aphrodisiac food, and they have also been a perennial staple on the Internet's list of aphrodisiac foods.

The reason why kidneys become the first choice of "aphrodisiac food" is mainly influenced by my country's concept of "like cures like".

In fact, all the “like cures like” are just simple analogies and inferences, most of which are very far-fetched and have no sufficient scientific evidence, let alone expecting them to “enhance sexual function”.

The main nutrients provided by animal kidneys are protein and fat, which cannot cure "kidney deficiency" or relieve "kidney deficiency". Moreover, most of these foods contain a lot of saturated fat, and eating more is really not good for men.

Compared with other organs, kidneys may have more male hormones. However, swallowing them orally will not work, because after heating and digestion by gastric juice, these hormones are basically destroyed, leaving nothing.

Moreover, animal kidneys and other internal organs may accumulate more harmful substances. Because kidneys are kidneys, and kidneys are important metabolic organs of animals, they usually contain higher levels of harmful substances such as heavy metals. If people eat animal kidneys contaminated with heavy metals, they may be excreted in urine through the kidneys.

Eating it once or twice occasionally may not cause much harm, but if you eat it frequently and in large quantities, it will not only fail to enhance your sexual function, it may also harm your health.

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How to eat kidneys healthily?

1

Eat in moderation

Kidneys and other animal offal are delicious, but they are not the healthiest choice. You should eat them in moderation. If you like to eat pork kidneys, it is recommended to eat them 2 to 3 times a month and not too much each time, such as controlling to about 50 grams each time.

2

People with high uric acid and gout should eat with caution

People who already have gout or hyperuricemia should eat low-purine foods and avoid high-purine foods. Various animal offal, including kidneys, are usually high-purine foods and should be avoided as much as possible.

References

[1] Chinese Food Composition Table Standard Edition, 6th Edition, Volume 2↑

[2]Scientific understanding of the relationship between dietary total fat, saturated fat and health[J]. Journal of Nutrition, 2022, 44(04): 313-315. DOI: 10.13325/j.cnki.acta.nutr.sin.2022.04.014.↑

[3]Saturatedfattyacidandtrans-fattyacidintakeforadultsandchildren:WHOguideline.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073630↑

[4]ZhaoR,ZhaoL,YangF,JuL,LiS,ChengX,XuX,GuoQ,CaiS,FangH,etal.DietaryFatIntakeamongChineseAdultsandTheirRelationshipswithBloodLipids:Fin dingsfromChinaNutritionandHealthSurveillanceandComparisonwiththePUREStudy.Nutrients.2022;14(24):5262.https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245262

[5] “Chinese Expert Consensus on the Treatment of Hyperuricemia and Gout”

Planning and production

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert