The body has 3 signs of kidney health! What to eat to nourish the kidneys?

Experts in this article:

Wang Bin, Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Chief Physician, Associate Professor, Master Supervisor

Zhang Huanan, Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Master's student

The kidneys are an important waste removal system in our body.

Facial edema, increased nocturia, large amounts of foam in the urine...these symptoms may indicate that your kidneys are not in good condition.

What factors in life can cause kidney damage? What are the symptoms of kidney failure? What can you eat to nourish your kidneys? Take a look.

What factors cause kidney damage?

The kidney is an important organ in the urinary system of vertebrates, and is related to the balance of electrolytes, the regulation of blood pressure, and the stability of the body's internal environment.

Many bad habits in life can cause damage to the kidneys.

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Drinking alcohol is a major risk factor for kidney function

Domestic and foreign research has recognized that drinking alcohol increases uric acid levels. Drinking large amounts of alcohol adds a burden to the kidney's uric acid excretion process. In the long run, it can lead to kidney damage and even gouty nephropathy.

Diabetes, one of the main causes of chronic kidney disease

When the human body is in a state of high blood sugar for a long time, it will cause chronic damage to multiple organs such as the kidneys, leading to functional disorders.

Hypertension, a risk factor for kidney disease

If high blood pressure is not controlled, the blood vessels will be under high pressure for a long time, which will compress the protein to leak into the urine and damage the kidney's filtration system. In the long run, it will cause irreversible kidney damage or even chronic renal failure.

Long-term high-salt diet increases the metabolic burden on the kidneys

Maintaining electrolyte balance is one of the important functions of the kidneys. A long-term high-salt diet will increase the metabolic burden on the kidneys, often causing kidney disease or renal failure due to exceeding the kidney load.

Nephrotoxic drugs can also cause damage

For example, some antibiotics, various painkillers, chemotherapy drugs, etc.

Is your kidney healthy? What are the physical signs?

Edema

When the kidneys are affected by risk factors, their metabolic function is damaged. The first symptom is edema, which is caused by a disorder in water metabolism and eyelid or facial edema. It is more obvious in the morning and after fatigue, and is relieved in the afternoon or after rest.

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Abnormal urination

It may also be accompanied by abnormal urination. Excessive or insufficient urination or a large amount of foam in the urine may be the result of kidney damage. Increased nocturia is often a sign of kidney disease.

Dizziness, headache, tinnitus, blurred vision

Some kidney diseases may cause high blood pressure in the early stages, resulting in symptoms such as dizziness, headache, tinnitus, and blurred vision, but some patients have long had high blood pressure and have become tolerant to the symptoms. Therefore, it is not possible to judge based solely on the presence or absence of symptoms, and it is necessary to measure blood pressure regularly.

Will chronic nephritis develop into uremia?

If various kidney diseases are not treated and controlled in time, they will develop into chronic renal failure in the later stage. This is a clinical syndrome involving the internal environment, metabolism and symptoms of all systemic systems. Chronic renal failure develops to the end, which is uremia that everyone is afraid of.

But not all kidney diseases will develop into uremia, take chronic nephritis as an example.

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First, it depends on the pathological type and concurrent clinical symptoms. For example, latent chronic nephritis may not show obvious symptoms for a long time and will not develop into uremia.

Secondly, it depends on whether the disease is treated and controlled in a timely manner. If it can be discovered early and treated with active medication, the disease can be kept stable in the long term. Some patients with nephritis may even recover after effective treatment.

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Can eating kidneys nourish the kidneys? What should we eat to nourish the kidneys?

There has always been a saying that "eating kidneys can nourish the kidneys". Is this true?

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What we commonly call kidneys are actually animal kidneys. However, eating kidneys has little effect on kidney tonification, and animal kidneys contain some heavy metals. Long-term and large-scale consumption will cause heavy metal accumulation and cause harm to our body.

The daily diet should be light, and the intake of foods containing potassium and sodium ions should be strictly controlled. Try to avoid taking pickled products, mushrooms, seaweed and other foods with high salt content.

On the basis of strictly controlling dietary intake, you can take in a moderate amount of high-quality protein, as well as fruits, vegetables and other foods rich in dietary fiber. Among animal proteins, chicken, duck, fish, pork and beef are all high-quality proteins; among soy products, soybeans, black beans, green beans and their soy products are high-quality proteins.

But be sure not to consume too much, as this will put a greater burden on your kidneys. (Tip: Not all beans contain high-quality protein. For example, peas, broad beans, and kidney beans are starch beans, and their nutritional value is equivalent to that of ordinary grains.)

At the same time, you should actively test your blood sugar, control sugar intake, and avoid diabetic nephropathy.

How to protect your kidneys?

In addition to diet, prevention can also be achieved through an active lifestyle in daily life.

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Exercise moderately and control your weight

The risk of chronic kidney disease in obese patients is 3 to 4 times that of normal-weight patients. Therefore, obese patients should avoid excessive calorie intake and insist on physical exercise. It is recommended to seek professional exercise and diet guidance, do not diet blindly, avoid excessive weight loss that causes malnutrition, anorexia nervosa and other diseases, and especially do not blindly abuse weight loss drugs to avoid kidney damage.

Control blood pressure levels

For patients with hypertension, controlling blood pressure plays an extremely important role in preventing hypertensive nephropathy. If blood pressure is above 140/90 mmHg, you should take antihypertensive drugs regularly according to the doctor's instructions, and must take the drugs under the guidance of a professional doctor. Do not stop taking the drugs without authorization to prevent serious heart, brain, kidney and other diseases.

Use drugs with caution to avoid drug-induced injuries

When taking medicines to treat other diseases, you should take them under the guidance of a professional doctor and read the instructions carefully. Most medicines are marked with whether they have nephrotoxicity or contraindications. Avoid taking nephrotoxic drugs for a long time. Certain antibiotics, various analgesics (such as aspirin, indomethacin, ibuprofen, etc.), various vascular contrast agents, etc. can cause kidney damage and should be used with caution.

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