Kidney Health

While pickles give you probiotics and antioxidants, it takes just 3 pickles (4") to cross your daily sodium quota, while 4–6 gherkins (3") cross the sugar quota. It's easy to have one too many, but when you do, pickles raise your blood pressure and blood sugar. Years of eating too many pickles can even put you at risk of stomach cancer. If you have high BP, diabetes, kidney or heart disease, and gastritis, limit intake and focus on fresh veggies.

Ionize your water with a lemon or baking soda to manage your BP, blood sugar, and cholesterol; improve bone metabolism, keeping its mineral content high; and treat acid reflux. Alkaline water helps most if you're physically active as it balances the lactic acid in the blood after a workout and keeps your heart and lungs less stressed. But too much of it can hamper your digestion and deposit excess calcium in the kidneys.

While tomatoes do contain oxalate, with 5 mg oxalate per 100 g of tomatoes, the amount is too small to precipitate into kidney stones. So contrary to a circulating myth, tomatoes do not cause kidney risk in healthy people. However, people with a history of kidney problems, including kidney stones, should reduce or avoid tomato intake because of their high potassium content.

By increasing insulin sensitivity and lowering your blood glucose and BP, a daily dose of ashwagandha can negate your risk of kidney damage due to diabetes or high BP. Besides fighting drug-induced toxicity, it mends damaged microtubules and balances electrolyte levels. As it destroys free radicals generated by toxicity, it halts inflammation, keeps the kidney tissues intact, and helps kill kidney cancer cells.

Soda alters urine composition by decreasing magnesium and citrate excretion and increasing oxalate excretion. It, thus, promotes formation of kidney stones. Its fructose and phosphorous content increase risks of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, electrolyte imbalance, renal dysfunction, and chronic kidney disease. Avoid colas, artificially sweetened sodas, and fruit punches.

There are several habits that could harm kidney health. Studies have proven that drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, not drinking enough water, holding your pee in, eating a lot of protein, lack of exercise, and a deficiency in vitamins and minerals can damage the kidney. High blood pressure and eating a lot of sugary foods are major contributors to kidney damage.

Sweet potatoes are high in oxalates that can cause calcium-oxalate kidney stones. They contain mannitol, a type of sugar that can cause stomach pain, bloating, and diarrhea in sensitive people. They are a preferred food for diabetics due to their low glycemic index but baking and other preparations can spike this index to damaging levels. Boiled potatoes are an healthier option.

Reduce amount of sodium, animal protein, calcium, and oxalate in your diet. Drink the juice extracted from the stem of banana plant which has diuretic properties. Figs and Basil leaves improve overall health of the kidneys. Tomato juice helps dissolve mineral salt deposits in the kidneys. Lemon juice contains citric acid that breaks down calcium-based stones.

Consume sufficient fluids and foods like watermelon, lemon juice, berries, apples and pumpkin seeds. You could use herbs like dandelion which help strengthen kidneys and clear water retention. Marshmallow root helps treat kidney stones, red clover stimulates excretion of water and wastes and nettle is a good diuretic. Also, practice meditation.

Bow pose, Camel pose, Wind Relieving pose, Plow pose, Cobra pose), leg raises, restorative poses and Pranayama can help eliminate kidney stones. These poses also help prevent ailments like kidney stones when practiced regularly. Cobra Pose: Lie on your stomach, place palms beside chest and press up, pushing chest off the ground, with hip touching the floor.

Papaya seeds contain nutrients that help heal cirrhosis of the liver and improve kidney health, preventing renal failure. Its anti-inflammatory properties help treat arthritis and joint disease. It contains an alkaloid called carpaine that kills intestinal worms and amoeba parasites. Papain, in papaya seeds, helps in effective digestion of protein. Avoid if pregnant.

1. Increase Your Hydration This is by far the best natural remedy for kidney stones. People diagnosed with kidney stones should be consuming a minimum of 10 glasses of fluids on a daily basis. People who are at risk of developing cystine stones should drink more fluids, at least 14 glasses[.....]