Table of contents:
- How to maintain kidney health to prevent disease
- 1. Healthy diet
- Limiting salt intake
- Low protein diet
- 2. Meet the needs of fluids
- 3. Exercise regularly
- 4. Do not just take drugs and vitamins
- 5. Stop smoking
- 6. Limit drinking alcoholic beverages
The kidneys are important organs that play an important role in filtering out toxic substances in the body. If it is not properly maintained, it is not impossible that you are at risk of developing kidney disease. So, how to maintain kidney health in order to avoid disease?
How to maintain kidney health to prevent disease
One way to prevent kidney disease is to keep this bean-shaped organ healthy. Actually, there are several habits that need to be done and not a few that must be reduced so that the kidneys can work optimally. Here are some ways you can keep your kidneys healthy.
1. Healthy diet
Living a healthy diet has been shown to provide good benefits for the body, including kidney health. This is because the causes of kidney disease start from high blood pressure and diabetes. However, both of these health problems can be avoided as long as you maintain your diet.
You can start by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables. However, keep in mind that there are several types of vegetables and fruits that turn out to be good for kidney health, such as:
- Cherry fruit being low in potassium can control acidity in the body
- low-potassium vegetables, such as cabbage, turnips, and eggplant to balance the mineral potassium
- Apple which is rich in antioxidants and low in potassium does not burden the kidneys
If possible, try to avoid foods that contain fat and purines, such as offal. The reason is, foods that are high in purines can increase uric acid levels which in turn can interfere with kidney function.
In addition to increasing fruit and vegetable intake, there are several other ways to nourish the kidneys and avoid disease, namely:
Limiting salt intake
Did you know that foods high in salt and sodium can raise blood pressure? If your blood pressure jumps suddenly, it can damage your blood vessels and make your kidneys work harder. In fact, hypertension is also cited as the main cause of kidney failure.
Therefore, you may be able to limit your salt intake in an effort to prevent kidney disease and keep it healthy. There are many choices of spices that can replace sodium, such as onions. The quercetin content in onions can also maintain kidney health by helping to optimize kidney function while filtering blood.
Low protein diet
Not only limiting salt intake, maintaining kidney health can actually be done by following a low protein diet. Consuming too much protein is not good for your health, especially your kidneys. This is because the protein that is consumed is digested and broken down into amino acids by the body using the help of enzymes.
Furthermore, protein digestion will start from the stomach to the intestines. The digested amino acids are then carried by the blood and supplied to the organs that need them.
Every part of the body requires a different amount of amino acids. When the protein has been digested, the rest will be processed by the kidneys and excreted in the urine.
The more protein the body has to digest, the more amino acids the kidneys need to filter out. As a result, the kidneys have to work harder.
Therefore, a low protein diet can be a fairly effective way of caring for the kidneys to stay healthy. There are several healthy food choices with sufficient protein for the body, such as fish meat and egg whites.
2. Meet the needs of fluids
Often underestimated, drinking water is actually important for maintaining kidney health, you know. This way to nourish the kidneys is quite natural and can be used to prevent disease. Why is that?
First, meeting the needs of fluids with plain water actually helps smooth the process of filtering the blood when removing toxic waste. Quoted from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the ability of healthy kidneys to filter about 150 liters of blood per day.
Through this filtering, the kidneys remove waste (substances that the body does not need) in the blood, such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and potassium. The water in the body will help keep the blood vessels open, so that blood can pass through the kidneys smoothly.
In addition, drinking enough water can also maintain the balance of water and minerals in the body. This is because the kidneys play an important role in maintaining the balance of water and minerals in the body. This balance is what makes nerves, muscles, and tissues function normally.
Maintaining kidney health in this way prevents the formation of kidney stones due to dehydration. Drinking enough water actually helps the kidneys remove waste properly. However, keep in mind that you don't want to drink too much water.
3. Exercise regularly
It is no secret that regular exercise is good for maintaining overall body health, including kidneys.
The reason is, regular exercise can help the body control blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels. These three components are things that need to be controlled to prevent kidney disease.
You don't have to run a marathon to keep your kidneys healthy. There are many other types of physical activity that are easy to do, such as walking, cycling, and dancing. Try to find sports that make you happy and healthy for your body.
4. Do not just take drugs and vitamins
Too often, in large quantities can damage your kidneys. This is because the kidneys play a role in removing the remnants of the drug from the body. Medicines such as NSAIDs and laxatives need to be taken according to a doctor's recommendation in order to maintain the health of your kidneys.
Therefore, never carelessly when taking drugs. The reason is, kidney disease can arise as a result of taking too long and taking too many medicines than recommended.
5. Stop smoking
For smokers, it may be time to stop because the content in cigarettes is proven to damage the body, including kidney function. You see, the toxic substances from cigarettes that enter the body can block blood flow.
As a result, the heart needs to work harder to pump blood and increase the risk of hypertension, which is the cause of kidney disease. Therefore, you should stop smoking as soon as possible to maintain the health of your kidneys.
6. Limit drinking alcoholic beverages
The Dangers of Completely Peeling the Real Effects of the Dangers of Alcohol on the Body: Heart to Kidney Damage does have a significant impact on health. Various damages can occur if you do not limit alcohol into the body, including decreased kidney function.
This is because the diuretic effect on alcohol can increase the amount of urine produced. As a result, it is difficult for the kidneys to regulate the flow of urine and body fluids, including controlling sodium, potassium, and chloride ions. If this happens, the body experiences an electrolyte fluid imbalance that causes dehydration.
It is never too late to start limiting to the extent possible to stop drinking alcoholic beverages to maintain health and prevent kidney disease.
