Do You Desire Healthy Kidneys? Eat These Foods
According to research, about 10% of the world’s population lives with kidney diseases, and a higher percentage has died.
A saying goes thus, “You may not know the worth of what you have until you lose it.”
In this case, having awesome health is almost always not appreciated until illnesses set in. Then you begin to wish you could go back to your healthy state. You may not know the worth of your kidneys until they begin to malfunction. At that point, you will then begin to wish you cared for them when they were still up and doing. To prevent such wishes, it is better to follow diets and adopt lifestyle habits that will positively impact your kidney health.
Dialysis, the artificial process of performing the functions of the kidneys in the body when the kidneys can no longer perform those functions, is an expensive procedure that has to go on throughout a kidney disease patient’s life or until such an individual can get a transplant in cases where both kidneys are damaged.
Going for dialysis twice or three times a week can be stressful and depressing. At this point, your kidneys become your top priority. You do not have to wait until they get damaged before you take care of them. Why not care for them while you still can, to prevent stories that touch, because it is better safe than sorry.
This article contains a breakdown of foods and fruits that you should add to your diet if you must maintain a healthy kidney and prevent kidney-related conditions.
Functions of the Kidneys
The functions of the kidneys are that which should not be overlooked. As small as they look, they play important roles in the body. Without the kidneys, your body becomes a septic tank automatically. It gets to retain waste products as there will be no means of filtering wastes out of your body.
Apart from this, the kidney is one of the strong forces behind the secretion of certain hormones in the body. For instance, the kidneys trigger the secretion of hormones that regulate or control blood pressure. It also helps balance and regulates blood fluids, among other functions. In other words, your blood pressure will remain constantly high, causing hypertension and a high chance of heart damage. You will also experience fluid imbalance and difficulty passing waste if the kidneys fail to perform.
Preventing kidney conditions involves eating healthy diets and following healthy tips. Although, some risk factors that can trigger kidney conditions, regardless of whether you eat healthy food or adopt a healthy lifestyle, include genetics, family history, and age. Other avoidable risk factors include heavy smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
While engaging in physical activities that can help prevent the condition, it is best to also look at foods that can protect and improve kidney health. The following are foods you should eat if you must maintain healthy kidneys.
Foods for Healthy Kidneys
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is stuffed with omega 3 fatty acids, a compound that the body cannot produce naturally on its own but is gotten through foods. One of the contributions omega 3 fatty acids make toward preventing kidney diseases includes lowering blood pressure.
Since high blood pressure has been discovered to be a risk factor for kidney diseases, eating omega 3 fatty acids-rich food can help regulate blood pressure and prevent it from triggering kidney diseases.
In addition, obesity is a threat factor for kidney diseases, and omega 3 fatty acids are associated with reducing body fat which automatically makes you less obese. Fishes like tuna, sardine, herring, and mackerel, among others, are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Apples
One apple a day keeps the doctor away. This is because apples are rich sources of properties that can help lower cholesterol levels. One major risk of excess cholesterol (LDL) is heart disease. This heart disease can cause blood pressure to constantly remain high, leading to kidney diseases.
However, consuming apples and other foods rich in compounds like pectin (a kind of healthy fiber) will help beat down or regulate the cholesterol level in your blood. Apples are also great dietary sources of vitamin C. In other words, not only can apples maintain for you a healthy kidney, but they can also help you maintain perfect general health.
Egg Whites
Egg yolks are the sweetest part of eggs, and the first thing that motivates anyone to eat an egg is the yolk. However, to maintain healthy kidneys, you will have to put a stop to egg yolk. For now, eat just the egg whites, as this is one massive move towards maintaining and preventing kidney disease. Studies have shown that people who already have kidney diseases and are undergoing dialysis should eat just egg whites to support the body.
This does not completely rule out the importance of egg yolk. Egg yolks are nutritious, but they contain phosphorus which can be unhealthy for the kidneys. Thus it is best to stick to egg whites if you must maintain healthy kidneys.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are rich origins of antioxidants that are good at detoxifying the body and preventing cell damage and oxidative stress. They are also stuffed with essential vitamins and minerals. Although, these vegetables are great choices for preventing kidney disease. However, they should not be eaten if you already have kidney diseases and are undergoing dialysis.
This is because green leafy vegetables contain phosphorus, a mineral that should be avoided by people undergoing dialysis or for those on restricted diets. To prevent kidney conditions, add green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and chard to your diet.
Sweet Potatoes
Although sweet potatoes have high potassium content, they can be gotten rid of by peeling and soaking potatoes for about an hour and cooking them after getting them afterward. Note that if you want to prevent kidney conditions, you do not have to get rid of potassium from your foods.
However, if you are on dialysis with an already damaged kidney, then you have to avoid potassium and some other minerals that may not be healthy for you when your kidneys are damaged. Sweet potatoes are also great sources of dietary fiber that can help in the easy movement of the bowel, especially for people who find it hard to pass waste.
Bell Peppers
One of the dominant vitamins in bell peppers is vitamin A, an essential vitamin that boosts the function of the immune system, which is usually grossly affected in people with kidney conditions. Compared to other peppers, bell peppers have low potassium contents, and this makes them a healthy choice for improved kidney functions.
They are also rich sources of vitamin C and other essential minerals that can protect the kidneys and general health. Bell peppers can be added to vegetable salads and smoothies. Consuming them regularly in smoothies or vegetable salads can give your kidney health a boost.
Water
Water is the healthiest liquid in the world. It should be consumed in large and healthy quantities if you must maintain healthy kidneys. This is because when water transports toxins into the bloodstream, the kidney performs the functions of filtering the bloodstream and ensuring the production of urine that gets the toxins out of the body.
Without water, this process will almost be impossible, and it can affect the kidneys because the kidneys will be working extremely harder than normal to get the toxins out of the body when there is no water to support the process. This can cause the kidneys to fail eventually. Thus, it is advisable to ingest plenty of water to help your kidneys.
Conclusion
The kidneys are important organs of the body. They are small but mighty. Without them in the body, the body becomes a home of discomfort. This is why it is important to care for them whether or not you have kidney-related conditions. It is much more beneficial to prevent kidney-related conditions than to try to treat them.
Following healthy lifestyle habits and sticking to highly nutritious diets can make a significant contribution to protecting kidney health. What is more? Drink water, plenty of water.
