Today is World Kidney Day where we aim to raise awareness of the importance of your kidneys and how vital it is to look after them. Conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes increase an individual’s risk of developing a kidney condition, which can lead to chronic kidney disease or even liver failure.

We probably rarely consider the job that our kidneys do for us. But those two fist-sized organs filter your blood, taking the waste products and potential poison from your body. If they don’t work properly it could be fatal.

There are things you can do to boost your kidney function, including taking care of your heart, keeping your weight under control and being careful about what you eat. Here are some basic tips on how to minimize the stress put on your kidney.

Avoid Salty Food

Sodium helps to control your blood pressure and the levels of fluids in your body. If you take in too much sodium you could suffer from water retention. This can lead to too much water being collected within the kidneys, adversely affecting your kidney function.

Other than table salt there are lots of everyday foods that are high in sodium. This includes chips, crackers and many processed foods. Processed or convenience foods contain additional sodium to enhance flavor and to act as a preservative. This means that a pre-packaged item is likely to contain much higher levels of salt than their homemade equivalent. Sodium is also present in food under the term monosodium glutamate. Look out for this on ingredients lists as well as sodium.

Read ingredient labels to find out just how high in sodium food is before you buy it. Try to opt for lower sodium products.

Proteins

Eating too much protein can cause damage to your kidneys. Whilst proteins can help to repair tissues and build muscle within the body, too much of it can put undue stress on the kidneys. Because meat is very high in protein, it is mainly meat eaters that suffer from kidney damage due to high protein intake.

Eat more fiber rich food and vegetables to give your kidneys a chance to process excess protein and toxins. Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables will also help to manage your blood pressure, preventing further unnecessary pressure on your kidneys.

Water

If you don’t consume enough water for your kidneys to filter waste and eliminate toxins from your body your kidneys won’t be able to function properly.

Drinking 3-4 liters of water a day will help your body to flush all of the waste from your body.

You don’t just have to get fluid from water. Some fruits and vegetables contain high water content. Watermelon, cucumber and tomatoes contain up to 90% water.

Avoid products that are high in caffeine, such as tea, coffee and some sodas as they are diuretics and promote fluid loss in the body.

By eating food with high water content and limiting caffeine intake you can maintain a healthy kidney and help to control any existing kidney problems.

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