Did you know your kidneys are able to function with only 20% of their capacity?
But that doesn’t mean you should not take good care of them…
In fact, kidney diseases are considered “silent diseases.” Meaning that any damage to your kidneys can go unnoticed for years… until you get really sick!
It is estimated that about 75% of the millions of people affected are unaware their kidneys are starting to fail!
Certain of your habits can lead to kidney damage so it’s important that you know what those habits are in order to avoid any of those “silent diseases.”
8 Habits you should Avoid to Prevent Kidney Damage
1. Pain killers
Using painkillers regularly can cause serious liver and kidney damage.
To avoid any type of injury, only use them when you absolutely need them and never use more than the prescribed dose.
2. Not drinking enough water
Dehydration can cause many problems in your body.
Not drinking enough water makes it particularly hard for your body to remove excess sodium (salt).
This can cause kidney stones and even kidney failure.
It’s very important to make sure you’re drinking enough water to flush out toxins and excess sodium from your kidneys.
3. Eating too much salt
Added salt is a killer! You must know that already…
Adding too much salt in your food can harm your kidneys big time.
Salt also increases your blood pressure, which in the long run can hurt your kidneys.
Some health gurus will tell you that you should use sea salt and that it’s healthy… but it’s not (sea salt actually contains microplastics).
In fact, the human body has no need for added salt. You can get all the sodium you need from fruits and vegetables.
To flavour your food, try to use herbs, spices, vinegar, and nutritional yeast in place of salt.
But if you are using salt, it’s best to choose pink Himalayan salt which does not contain microplastics.
4. Smoking
Smoking doesn’t only hurt your lungs, it hurts your kidneys as well.
Tobacco raises your blood pressure, which affects your kidneys, as I mentioned earlier.
Smoking also slows the blood flow to your vital organs (like your kidneys), which decreases their ability to function optimally.
5. Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse damages your liver and kidneys.
When you drink a lot of alcohol, blood flow to your kidneys slows down, affecting their filtration rate.
That’s when your body becomes toxic!
6. Too much protein
The Standard American diet is a major risk factor for impaired kidney function and chronic kidney disease.
The saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol found in animal fat and junk food have a huge impact on your kidney function.
Eating animal fat can actually change the structure of your kidneys!
Additionally, animal protein can cause an acid load to the kidneys while increasing ammonia production and damaging the sensitive cells of your kidneys.
7. Refined foods
Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup can both damage your kidneys because they increase your blood pressure and uric acid levels in your body.
Avoid processed foods like breakfast cereals, pastries, cookies, and other packaged foods.
8. Ignoring bathroom breaks
When you have a full bladder but don’t go to the bathroom, the urine pressure is increased and it can hurt your kidneys and lead to infections.
You should always listen to your body and take bathroom breaks when it’s needed.
