People often joke about selling a kidney when they want to buy something expensive. After all, we have two of them, right? While it is true that we can survive with a single kidney, two is definitely better than one. Humor aside, kidneys are special and important organs, therefore, having a healthy set is priceless. Should you invest in kidney care supplements? Are these effective and safe?
Why Is Kidney Health Important?
Our kidneys are unique and vital organs. These two organs are located toward the back of the abdominal cavity, but generally we can’t see or feel them. What do they do? A kidney’s job is to filter blood and create urine. Additionally, it is responsible for removing waste and toxins and also helps regulate our blood pressure.
Just like the heart, our kidneys are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for our entire lives. In fact, a healthy set of kidneys filters about 140 liters of blood each day. This is important to prevent build-up of waste products from normal metabolic processes. In addition, the kidneys remove excess water to prevent edema and bloating.
However, because our kidneys are constantly working, they can experience a lot of wear and tear. Because they also filter large volumes of blood, the kidneys are exposed to all the drugs and chemicals that are dissolved in it. When the kidneys get damaged, the tubules within the kidney allow larger particles to pass through. Normally, blood cells, protein, and sugars stay in the blood, but damaged kidneys allow these materials to pass into the urine. Sudden kidney damage is known as acute kidney injury (AKI) while prolonged damage is chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Some signs and symptoms of kidney disease include:
- Proteinuria (protein in the urine)
- Hematuria (blood in the urine)
- Glycosuria (glucose in the urine)
- Fatigue
- Poor blood pressure control
- Pain in the mid or lower back
- Fever
- Anemia
Should I Use Kidney Care Supplements?
As mentioned above, our kidneys are exposed to many chemicals found in food and drugs that we take in. Almost all drugs are metabolized and excreted either through hepatic (liver) or renal (kidney) routes. The liver is responsible for most of the metabolism (or breakdown) while the kidneys are responsible for most of the excretion or removal of the byproducts. While the kidneys can handle this job, high doses of any drug can be taxing and cause damage due to accumulation.
Our kidneys do not require specific kidney care supplements. In fact, the less medications you take, the less work your kidneys need to do. Because kidneys are highly vascularized organs, maintaining a heart-healthy diet with cardio exercises can improve overall health. Additionally, keeping your blood pressure and blood sugar under control will reduce the strain on your kidneys.
The problem with most herbal supplements is that they are not approved by the FDA to treat any specific illness. Additionally, most do not disclose the ingredients or actual amount of each ingredient. This makes it difficult to gauge if you are underdosing or overdosing on a particular substance.
Additionally, some supplements may even contain harmful contaminants, like heavy metals. And besides the potential side effects supplements might also interact with your current medications.
Kidney care supplements often include words like “natural” and “safe”, but those are often marketing ploys that can be misleading. Only take supplements if your doctor or nephrologist has approved of it.
Ingredients To Avoid
For people with two healthy kidneys, your body will be able to handle almost anything that is thrown into it. A single high dose of a medication will not destroy your kidneys.
However, weeks, months, and years of using certain medications can take its toll. This is why it is important for you to get regular check-ups and evaluations with your doctor. He or she will adjust your medication doses and regimens based on how well they are working.
For patients that have AKI, CKD, or have undergone a kidney transplant, you have to be more careful with what you eat and drink. This is even more important if you also have other conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Generally, you need to avoid high sodium and potassium-containing substances.
