Posted by Pande Pire on October 04, 2006 at 10:37:34:
Maintaining healthy kidneys is important to avoid becoming one of the millions of people on dialysis or requiring kidney transplants.
Kidney failure generally occurs when too many nephrons, the smallest building block of the kidney, die.
Nephrons generally do not regenerate, so eventually if enough nephrons die, the kidneys will fail.
Some common causes of kidney/nephron damage are hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, toxins (usually damaging the mitochondria),dehydration, recurrent kidney/bladder infections, recurrent kidney stones/calcification, excessive use of certain drugs such as anti-cholesterol medication, aspirin and tylenol.
One of the best ways to avoid kidney damage is to make sure one drinks sufficient water and fluids throughout the day. This flushes the kidneys and bladder preventing infection, stones, calcification and dehydration.
This is especially important during hot weather, exercise or strenous work where there is much loss of fluids through sweating. Make sure to regularly replenish fluids.
Avoid fluidless fasts, "drying out" as a weight-loss strategy, etc. For some people, even :short periods of dehydration can result in loss of viable kidney cells. This can accumulate over the years eventually contributing to kidney failure.
Certain foods like cranberry are useful in flushing out the kidneys and bladder. Food high in the bioflavanoid quercetin are recommended.
Also, avoid taking to much fluid as this may contribute to bloating, high blood pressure and exhaustion of the kidneys. Maintain a good balance of fluid intake, which should take into account also the amount of salt intake, daily urination, etc.
Signs of excess water include bloating, dizziness, headaches, weight fluctuation, excess urination.
Signs of dehydration include thirst, dry mouth and mucous membranes, dry,warm skin, dizziness, inability to urinate.
It's generally recommended to drink at least eight cups of water a day, but not more than four quarts (16 cups) except in cases of heavy sweating.
Your diet should contain balanced intake of sodium and potassium, and calcium and magnesium.
Avoid getting into the habit of holding one's urine for long periods of time.
Empty your bladder before long trips and try to get your fluids from moist foods as it takes the body longer to process before urination.
Get up at night if you feel like urinating rather than holding it until the morning.
What to take if the kidneys are already bad:
borage
folic acid
erva tostao
milk thistle
spirulina
dulse and other seaweeds
methionine
For problems of excess urea, creatinine
clay powders (internal and external/baths)
seaweeds
Cordyceps
karanja (Pongamia pinnata)
salvia
rhubarb root
coenzyme q10
chinese formula (Rheum Palmatum, Salvia Miltiorrhiza, Cordyceps Sinensis, Leonurus Sibiricus, Epihedium Macranthum, Radix Astragali, and Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae,)
fish and flaxseed oil
quercetin (cranberry, veggies/fruits with bioflavoids, etc.)
tumeric (curcumin)
Substitutes for kidney functions
garlic, goldenseal,and
Echinacea for antimicrobial or immune-stimulating,
maitake, ganoderma, and shiitake
mushrooms for anti-neoplastic
omega-3 fatty acids for anti-inflammatory
Avoid high sodium, high potassium, high phosphorus and high protein