Your kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste from your blood and is also responsible for hormone and blood pressure regulation.
However, any type of damage done to your kidneys can cause health problems such as high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease. And there are 10 things that people do that they are not aware of that do hurt the kidney functions. Let’s go over those right now.
#10 – Taking Too Many Painkillers
If you are taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs which are over the counter painkillers, you may be stressing your kidneys out. Therefore, their function will not be optimal and you could get sick. You will want to be mindful to use as few of them and stick to the recommended dosages.
#9 – Taking In Too Much Salt
There is a reason that you are told if you take in too much salt, your blood pressure can go higher. That is because consuming an excess amount of salt will put pressure on the kidneys. You will want to lay low on the salt and use herbs in place of salt to give your dishes the flavor you would like.
#8 – Taking In Too Much Processed Food
You know that processed food is not good for you and if you take in too much of it, you are adding stress to your kidneys from the additives and preservatives from it. Those ingredients that are not natural are putting your entire body under stress. You will want to limit processed food intake and stick more towards organic.
#7 – Not Drinking The Recommended Water Daily Intake
There is a reason that people are told to drink fro 6 to 10 glasses a day. Not drinking enough water will cause you to become dehydrated. And that means there is less water for your kidneys to function at its best, which means it is being stressed and not enough waste is being filtered out. If your urine is dark orange, then that means you are not drinking enough water as that is a sign of dehydration.
#6 – Not Sleeping Enough
Sleep is important and you want to have 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep each night. Sleep helps your body reset as you rest, and that includes helping your kidney function stay optimal. By not getting enough sleep can stress your kidneys out, in addition to the rest of your body. If you cannot get that much sleep each night then find time during the day to take a nap.
#5 – Too Much Meat Consumption
Animal protein can generate high levels of acid in the blood. That can cause damage to the kidneys as it may not be able to flush out acid quickly and that condition is called acidosis. You need protein for muscle repair and growth, but eating all meat is not good for you and you need to balance it with foods from the other major food groups.
#4 – High Sugar Consumption
You know that sugar is not good for you and if you don’t eat it in moderation, then it can cause weight gain and obesity. This can cause high blood pressure and that will put extra stress on the kidneys. This also goes for refined sugar such as white flour as it is a simple carbohydrate that can cause weight gain.
#3 – Smoking
It has been known for decades that smoking is dangerous. It does not only cause lung damage. It can cause damage to your kidneys and to the rest of your body as well. That is why smokers are more likely to have protein in the urine which is indicative of kidney damage.
#2 – Drinking Too Much Booze
Drinking too much does not only stress the liver. It stresses the kidneys too as the kidneys work very hard at flushing out waste to the point they are stressed. Limit yourself to one drink a day as long as you don’t have any health problems.
#1 – Living A Sedentary Lifestyle
This is a silent killer and not getting enough exercise will put a strain on your entire body which includes your kidneys. This causes high blood pressure and weight gain. You don’t need to do an intense workout daily but aim to get a half-hour a day of walking briskly to get yourself active enough to stay healthy.
Learning about this, you will want to make some lifestyle adjustments in order to stay healthy.
