How to Maintain Kidney Health

Kidney failure is irreversible. Hence it is important that we take good care of our kidneys. How to maintain kidney health? The following are some of the ways in which kidney health can be maintained:

Drinking lots of water every day helps maintain kidney health. Water is important for all body functions and maintenance of overall health.

Water carries some portion of wastes of the body to the kidneys. Kidneys filter out the wastes. The filtered wastes are carried out of the body by water. Likewise the nutrients collected in the kidneys after filtration are carried by water to other parts of the body.

You must provide your body with the right volume of fluids. Too many fluids can cause kidney problems. Less of fluids can also cause kidney problems. How much of fluids a body requires depend on geography, gender, body height-weight measures, routine activities of the day, and other factors. Approximately, one to two litre of water per day is considered to be the ideal amount of fluid intake.

Urine should be straw coloured and clear, not cloudy. If urine is not clear and is cloudy, it could be a symptom of kidney infection or a symptom of kidney stones. Any difference in urine colour, consistency, properties, frequency and quantity should be reported to your physician. The physician will check for any kidney health problems like kidney infection or kidney stones.

Kidneys also maintain electrolyte balance in the body. Sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphates are the components which help the kidneys maintain electrolyte balance in the body. Sodium and potassium aid in blood pressure regulation and heart beat. Optimal intake of these in your diet helps maintain kidney health as well as cardio health.

For a normal person, the allowance for sodium intake is 2,300 mg. So, one who has low blood pressure may increase the sodium intake. Those who have hypertension will need to reduce their sodium intake. Similarly potassium has an allowance of 3,500 mg. Reduced intake of potassium will adversely affect kidney health. The body requires potassium for carrying out certain functions of other organs too.

It is to be borne in mind that the above guidelines need to be adjusted to your individual calorific intake, body height-weight, gender, age, daily routine activities, other body ailments, intake of medications, etc. It is recommended that you to have a discussion on the above with your physician.