The Amazing Kidneys

The Amazing Kidneys

All of the human body is fascinating – but I’d have to say the Kidneys never cease to amaze me. These kidney bean shaped organs sit in the lower back just at the bottom of the ribcage, and have the hugely important job of constantly filtering the blood.

When the blood goes through the kidneys, they instinctively know exactly what we need to retain and excrete. In other words they might realise ‘ok we need more magnesium, hold onto it – or we have enough or too much, let it go in the urine… we have enough fluid, let it go in the urine, or we are dehydrated, best keep the fluid in the blood stream’ – this is why your pee is dark yellow when dehydrated, because the concentration of toxins within the fluid is higher.

The levels of fluid, minerals and toxins within the blood must be kept under tight control. Too much fluid means high blood volume and an increase in blood pressure and sometimes swelling (which is why kidney disease causes blood pressure issues). Too little fluid if the kidneys let it go would leave us dehydrated.

If the kidneys let go of too much calcium for example, and the blood calcium volume gets too low, calcium will be pulled from the bones to increase the blood levels back to the levels necessary for cardiac function.

If the kidneys are working well, this process happens incredibly well. Sometimes though, the kidneys may be struggling, in which case they might not be able to do their job as perfectly as they need to. This may result in mineral imbalances, fluid imbalances and toxin build up. You can see then, how important it is to support these vital wee organs!

Some things which can impact on kidney function:

•        Long term stress

•      Regular alcohol intake

•        Dehydration

•        Some medications, especially NSAIDS such as ibuprofen used repeatedly

•       Diabetes or high blood sugar levels in general over time

•        Smoking and vaping

Some things we can do to support kidney function:

•      Practice stress management – prioritising life balance / breathing practices / meditation / therapy / doing things you enjoy regularly

•       Reduce or avoid alcohol, smoking, vaping

•       Address causes of pain if possible, rather than relying on pain relieving medications – seek help with this if needed

•       Wholefoods diet low in sugar and high in fibre to help balance blood sugar levels. A diet full of fresh fruit, veg, nuts and wholegrains will give us the minerals we need.

•      Maintain good hydration with water and herbal teas, keeping juices, fizzy drinks etc to the minimum. Aim for at least 1.5L fluids daily, more if you are sweating a lot

•      Keep salt intake moderate – which means minimum packaged foods which often contain a lot of salt

•      Acupuncture is amazing for kidneys

•      Some herbs which aid kidney function – ginger, turmeric, parsley. Easy to incorporate into foods and teas!

Keeping the old kidneys happy is well worth some awareness and effort. Thanks Kidneys!