World Kidney Day: 6 Dietary Tips To Avoid Kidney Diseases

It is the World Kidney Day today. World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys. The bean shaped organs are quite vital for smooth functioning of the body. Many of you would know, that it is because of the kidneys, that our body is able to discharge waste and toxins in form of urine. But in addition to it kidneys also help filter blood before sending it back to the heart. Kidney's are body's natural filters that also help maintaining overall fluid balance, regulating and filtering minerals from blood and creating hormones that help produce red blood cells, promote bone health, and regulate blood pressure

So this World Kidney Day, lets pledge to take maximum care of these precious organs. Few dietary tweaks can goa long way in managing the health of our kidneys better.

1. Cut Down on Sugar

Dr. Anshul Jai Bharat, a Delhi-based Nutritionist, says, "Most processed food products contain too much sugar, so when it goes to your system it leads to hormonal imbalance and also your blood profile changes. High consumption of these empty calories can cause obesity and diabetes - diseases that directly impact the functioning of your kidneys. You can treat yourself to your favourite dessert or a fast food burger sometimes as long as it does not replace your daily balanced diet."

2. Keep a Check on Phosphorous Intake

Health experts and doctors have issued a warning against excess phosphorous in the human body claiming that it may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease where the phosphate levels in the body shoot up to abnormally high levels. According to them, muscle cramps, numbness, tingling, bone or joint pain and rash are all the symptoms of hyperphosphatemia and people who experience them quite often should consult a doctor at the earliest. Foods that should be strictly avoided, or at least consumed in moderation include soft drinks, chocolates, tinned milk and processed meat," suggests Neerja Jain who works in Nephrology department at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital.

3. Say No to Junk Food

Junk food or processed food may cause long-term damage to the kidneys and trigger diabetes. Steer clear of greasy fries or chips or sugary cookies. This may induce changes in glucose transport in the kidney.

4. Keep well hydrated

For a healthy kidney function, it is very important to stay hydrated at all times. Kidneys act as filters in the body, they need adequate water to flush off the toxins, waste products and unwanted or unneeded compounds from the blood. Adequate water intake would ensure that the kidneys are not too congested or calcified to carry out its filtering function. Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. And not just water, there are several other fluids that can help you stay hydrated - chaas,fresh nimbu pani, coconut water and kanji are some of the good fluids you can load up on.

5. Maintain healthy blood pressure

A healthy blood pressure and healthy kidneys are intertwined in more ways than you would have ever imagined

A high blood pressure could damage blood vessels throughout the body, including the small arteries within the kidneys that are very important for its filtering. Check your blood pressure regularly. Eating a low-salt diet and maintaining a healthy weight all help maintain normal blood pressure.

6. Cut down on Alcohol

Excessive alcohol intake could potentially damage several organs and your precious kidneys are no exception. According to experts alcohol(ethanol) can negatively impact the internal lining of the organ, thereby causing hindrance in the kidney function of filtering blood and balance fluids / electrolytes which can also lead to high blood pressure. Binge dribking may also cause kidneys to shut down and cause acute kidney injury . Keep your alcohol intake in moderate range, that is one to two alcoholic beverage per day.

Here's wishing you all a Happy World Kidney Day 2018