The topmost 10 habits that can seriously damage your kidneys.
You consciously make choices to promote digestive, heart, and mental health through healthy eating and lifestyle habits. However, it’s crucial also to consider the well-being of your kidneys. Your daily food choices and activity habits you engage in may have long-term implications, potentially leading to damage and disease. Keep reading to discover effective ways to optimize and prioritize your kidney health.
Your kidneys play a vital role in maintaining your health by filtering your bloodstream and eliminating toxins, waste, dead cells, and excess water. Once these substances are effectively filtered, they exit your body through urine. The balance between fluid intake and output is crucial, emphasizing the significance of urine tests in diagnosing kidney injuries, damage, or other diseases. Monitoring this delicate equilibrium is essential for understanding and maintaining optimal kidney function.
Not Drinking Enough Water
You’ve probably heard it a lot – drink more water! We’ve known for a while that not drinking enough water is linked to lower kidney function. But here’s the thing: just drinking more water might not completely fix kidney problems, according to new research. It turns out that if you keep getting dehydrated, it could increase the risk of chronic kidney disease. So, it’s important to regularly drink enough water to keep your kidneys in good shape.
SmokingÂ
Extensive studies have confirmed that using cigarettes and other products, such as smokeless tobacco, reduces kidney function
Painkillers
Long-term use of painkillers has been linked to a 50% increased risk of kidney cancer Chronic conditions like migraines or joint pain shouldn’t be treated with NSAIDs. Instead, talk to your doctor about safer long-term pain relief options.
Over Medications
Some OTC drugs have been linked to kidney damage, such as Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.
Extreme ExcerciseÂ
Surprisingly, extreme exercise habits can cause severe kidney damage. It’s dangerous stuff! It’s a good idea to speak with your medical practitioner about the safety of your fitness habits.
Poor Sleep
A study of middle-aged people found that those who slept less than six hours a night, or more than ten hours including naps, experienced renal hyperfiltration, an early warning sign of kidney disease
Too Much ProteinÂ
Renal hyperfiltration, the same symptom caused by poor sleep, is thought to be caused by a high-protein diet. It’s important to note that if you’re relatively healthy and have a high-protein diet (i.e., at least nothing below 2.2 g/kg), you should be safe. However, if someone is already living with chronic kidney disease, a high-protein diet could cause complications.
Too Much SugarÂ
Just like drinking your sugar in the form of soda, eating a high-sugar diet can lead to the same problems. Stay away from too much candy, chocolate, and desserts, for kidney’s sake.
Magnesium deficiency
Magnesium has many roles to play in your body’s proper functioning. Read more about how magnesium deficiency can cause kidney stones.
Drinking alcohol
In a study, researchers found if you stick to one standard alcoholic drink each day (one 1.5-oz shot, one 12-oz. glass of beer, or one 5-oz. glass of wine), you do not increase your risk of developing kidney disease. However, there are other health problems with heavy alcohol consumption.
