10 Harmful Daily Habits That Are Destroying Your Kidneys

Kidneys are essential to keeping us healthy. They do the heavy lifting of filtering out toxins and waste from our blood and keeping our body's fluids and minerals in balance. Unfortunately, some of our everyday habits may cause real trouble, even when we think we're living pretty healthily. Be it excessive alcohol or not getting enough sleep, some daily habits that we practice may harm our kidneys since they are our body's primary filter organ. Keeping them safe is essential.

In today's article, we will explain 10 daily habits that may put our kidneys at risk without us even realizing it. Learning and identifying them will help us mitigate the risk. Also, stick to the end of the article where we will talk about five foods that may protect your kidneys from damage. Let's get started.

Not drinking enough water: Dehydration may lead to kidney damage through a series of interconnected biological processes. Essentially, when your body lacks sufficient water, the blood becomes more concentrated and viscous. This thicker blood is harder for your heart to pump, which reduces the flow of blood to vital organs, including the kidneys.

The kidneys rely on adequate blood flow to filter waste from your blood and regulate fluid, electrolytes, and acid-base balance. As blood flow to the kidneys diminishes, it may impede their ability to function properly. The decrease in blood flow means less efficiency in filtering waste, leading to the accumulation of toxins in the body. Moreover, concentrated blood makes it harder for the kidneys to maintain the right balance of minerals and salts.

When the body is dehydrated, it also produces less urine, which is the primary way the kidneys remove waste. Imbalanced body fluids and less urine not only mean less waste removal but also increase the likelihood of kidney stone formation as the minerals and salts may crystallize in the kidneys when they are not flushed out.

Over time, persistent dehydration may cause chronic kidney stress and damage. There is some evidence that increasing hydration, particularly with water, may prevent chronic kidney disease. Drink about 3 to 4 liters of water. daily to maintain proper hydration in the body.

Excessive salt intake: Excessive salt intake may lead to kidney damage through a cascade of physiological effects. Salt, or sodium chloride, is vital for bodily functions, but too much may be detrimental. When you consume too much salt, your body retains water to dilute the high sodium concentration in your bloodstream. This increased water retention raises blood volume, which means more work for the heart and higher pressure on blood vessels.

High blood pressure, or hypertension is a direct result of this increased blood volume. The kidneys, which are made up of tiny structures called nephrons that filter blood, are particularly sensitive to changes in blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure damages these nephrons. The damage reduces the kidney's ability to filter waste effectively, which may lead to kidney disease.

According to the World Health Organization, restricting salt intake to less than about 2 grams per day, corresponding to 6 grams of salt, is one of the most cost-effective measures to improve public health.

Overusing painkillers: Overusing painkillers, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen, may lead to kidney damage through several mechanisms. These drugs work by inhibiting the production of certain chemicals in the body called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins may play a crucial role in dilating blood vessels leading to the kidneys, which helps maintain proper blood flow and kidney function. When you frequently use painkillers, the reduced production of prostaglandins may lead to constriction. blood vessels in the kidneys.

This constriction decreases blood flow to the kidneys, impairing their ability to function efficiently. Reduced blood flow means less oxygen and nutrients reach the kidney tissues, which may cause damage over time. Additionally, painkillers may directly injure kidney cells, disrupting their ability to filter blood and regulate fluid and electrolyte balances.

This disruption may lead to conditions such as acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease if the use of these drugs continues over an extended period. A study indicates that taking an average of three or four pills of analgesics a week is safe for the kidneys; however, analgesic nephropathy is more common in women than in men.

Eating processed foods: Eating processed foods frequently may harm kidney health due to their high contents of sodium, phosphates, and other additives. These elements place a significant strain on the kidneys, compelling them to work harder to filter out these excessive and often harmful substances. When you consume a diet rich in processed foods, you typically ingest high levels of sodium, which, as discussed previously, may lead to high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for kidney damage as it may harm the blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to clean the blood efficiently. Over time, this may lead to a decrease in kidney function. Processed foods also often contain phosphates used as preservatives and flavor enhancers. High phosphate levels in the blood may lead to vascular damage as well as hardening of the tissues in the kidneys, which impairs.

kidney function. The kidneys have to filter these excess phosphates, which may be taxing and lead to damage. Additionally, the chemicals and artificial ingredients in processed foods may create a high oxidative stress environment in the body. This situation leads to inflammation and may further damage kidney tissues over time. According to a study, high ultra-processed food consumption is independently associated with an increase of more than 50% in the risk of renal function decline in older adults.

Smoking: Smoking is notoriously harmful to almost every organ in the body, and the kidneys are no exception. Smoking leads to a reduction in blood flow throughout the body, including to the kidneys. Nicotine in cigarettes constricts blood vessels, making them narrower and less flexible, which is the main cause of this reduction. As a result, the decreased blood flow may impair the kidney's ability to filter blood effectively.

Over time, this may lead to a condition known as ischemia, which weakens the kidneys and may cause permanent damage. Apart from that, smoking increases the heart rate and blood pressure, creating additional stress on the kidneys. High blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney damage as it may force the kidneys to filter blood at a higher pressure than normal, which may strain and eventually damage the delicate blood vessels within the organ.

Moreover, the toxins in cigarette smoke may directly damage kidney tissues. These toxins induce inflammation and oxidative stress in kidney cells, which may lead to chronic kidney disease or worsen existing kidney conditions. In a prospective study, researchers found that in type 2 diabetes, smokers compared with non-smokers have a significantly increased risk of diabetic nephropathy.

Along with that, researchers found that avoiding smoking may effectively prevent kidney cancer. Moreover, the success rate of renal transplantation is significantly lower for smokers. All these findings clearly show why you should quit smoking to protect your kidneys.

Consuming excessive alcohol: When alcohol is consumed in large quantities, it has a direct toxic effect on the kidneys, which may exacerbate their workload and eventually lead to damage. Alcohol causes dehydration by increasing urine production. This diuretic effect might lessen the amount of fluid the body has available for other crucial processes, like the kidneys' filtration system.

When the body is dehydrated, the blood becomes concentrated, and the blood flow to the kidneys is reduced. This reduction in blood flow may strain the kidneys as they receive less oxygen and nutrients necessary for filtering waste from the blood.

Moreover, chronic alcohol consumption may lead to liver disease, which in turn affects kidney function. The liver and kidneys work closely to regulate various body functions, including waste elimination and toxin breakdown. When the liver is damaged, it produces fewer proteins necessary for blood clotting and other functions, which may lead to imbalances that the kidneys struggle to correct, thereby increasing the burden on these organs. Additionally, alcohol raises blood pressure, a major risk factor for kidney damage.

Persistent high blood pressure forces the kidneys to filter blood at an elevated pressure, which may wear out the nephrons, the functional filtering units within the kidneys. Over time, this may lead to chronic kidney disease. Furthermore, oxidative stress has been a leading cause of damage to our health. Studies also suggest that alcoholic kidney injury may be associated with a complex interaction of ethanol-induced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory alterations.

Not getting enough sleep: At least 7 hours of sleep is essential for our body to function properly. The kidneys perform many of their repair and maintenance functions during sleep, making adequate rest crucial for their health. When the body doesn't get enough sleep, it experiences disruptions in the sleep-wake cycle, which impacts the kidneys' ability to regulate various functions, including blood pressure and the filtration rate, known as the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). During normal sleep, the body's sympathetic nervous activity decreases, and blood pressure drops, giving the kidneys a chance to rest and recover.

Lack of sleep keeps the body in a state of heightened alertness and elevated blood pressure, which over time may strain the kidneys. Furthermore, chronic lack of sleep may lead to systemic inflammation and increased stress hormone levels such as cortisol, which may further damage kidney tissue and exacerbate existing kidney conditions.

In a study of more than 4,200 participants, it was found that shorter sleep durations were linked to a faster decline in kidney function. Specifically, those sleeping 5 hours or less per night had about two times the risk of a rapid decrease in kidney function compared to those who slept 7 to 8 hours.

Ignoring common infections: Research suggests that long-term exposure to infectious agents is a major factor in the increased prevalence of glomerular diseases in developing countries. When an infection enters the body, the immune system responds by sending white blood cells and other chemicals to fight off the invading pathogens. If an infection is not effectively managed, it may spread and become systemic, a condition known as sepsis.

Sepsis triggers widespread inflammation throughout the body, including in the kidneys. This inflammation may impair kidney function as it reduces blood flow to the kidneys, limiting their ability to filter waste and maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. Moreover, certain bacteria from untreated urinary tract infections may travel to the kidneys, leading to a direct infection known as pyelonephritis.

This condition may cause permanent damage to the kidney tissues, affecting their filtering capacity. Chronic or repeated kidney infections may lead to scarring, which may result in kidney dysfunction and ultimately chronic kidney disease.

High protein diet: A high protein diet, particularly one rich in red meat and other animal proteins, may lead to kidney damage over time due to the increased burden it places on these organs. The kidneys play a crucial role in metabolizing and excreting the byproducts of protein digestion, namely urea and ammonia. When protein intake is high, the kidneys must work harder to filter these substances from the blood. The process starts with digestion, where proteins are broken down into amino acids.

The liver converts excess amino acids into ammonia, a highly toxic substance that is then converted into urea. This urea is transported in the bloodstream to the kidneys to be excreted in urine. A consistently high protein intake forces the kidneys to handle an elevated load of urea and other nitrogenous wastes. This increased filtration rate may strain the nephrons, the tiny filtering units within the kidneys, leading to hyper filtration and potentially increasing the risk of kidney damage over time.

This hyper filtration may cause significant stress on the kidney structures, leading to glomerular hypertension and eventually kidney scarring or fibrosis—conditions that impair the kidney's ability to function properly. A study of nearly 1,800 Iranians followed for an average of 6 years showed that those consuming excess protein in the form of a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet also had a higher risk of chronic kidney disease.

Sedentary lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle significantly impacts kidney health by fostering conditions that stress kidney function, notably obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. These conditions are interconnected and contribute to a cascade of effects detrimental to the kidneys. When physical activity is limited, the body's metabolism slows down, which may lead to weight gain and obesity.

Excess body weight increases the strain on the kidneys by raising blood pressure and blood sugar levels. High blood pressure forces the kidneys to filter blood at an elevated pressure, which over time may damage the delicate. filtering units within the kidneys known as nephrons. Damage to these nephrons diminishes the kidney's ability to clear waste effectively, increasing the risk of kidney disease.

Moreover, a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels. Over time, high glucose levels in the blood may cause damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys. This vascular damage reduces the kidneys' filtering capacity, leading to diabetic nephropathy, a common form of kidney disease in diabetics.

Now let's discuss eight foods that protect your kidneys. Certain foods are particularly beneficial for maintaining kidney health due to their nutrient profiles and properties that help reduce stress on the kidneys, prevent damage, and maintain proper function.

Watermelon: Watermelon is high in water content and potassium, which helps cleanse the kidneys by promoting increased urine production. This helps flush out toxins more efficiently and keeps the kidneys well-hydrated, reducing. the risk of kidney stones and keeping the blood diluted.

Cabbage: Cabbage is rich in phyto chemicals, vitamins, and minerals like vitamin K and vitamin C, but low in potassium, making it an ideal vegetable for those who need to manage their potassium levels, a common concern for kidney health. The antioxidants in cabbage help combat oxidative stress and reduce inflammation, both of which may protect kidney cells from damage.

Blueberries: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which have been shown to reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative stress. Regular consumption of blueberries may help prevent damage to kidney tissues that may lead to chronic kidney disease.

Garlic: Garlic is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It helps reduce inflammation and the buildup of plaque in the arteries, improving blood flow to the kidneys and enhancing their ability to filter blood effectively. Garlic also acts as a natural diuretic, helping to eliminate excess sodium and water from the body and easing the pressure on the kidneys.

Red bell peppers: Red bell peppers are low in potassium but high in flavor, as well as vitamins A, C, B6, folic acid, and fiber. They also contain lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against certain types of cancer, including kidney cancer. Their low potassium content makes them an ideal choice for those with kidney concerns, as they help manage potassium levels while providing essential nutrients to support overall kidney function.

Apples: Apples are high in fiber and have anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce cholesterol, prevent constipation, and decrease the risk of heart disease and kidney issues. They are also rich in antioxidants, which help protect the kidneys from oxidative stress and associated damage.

Cherries: Cherries are another excellent source of antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which are known for their anti-inflammatory effects. Regular consumption of cherries may help reduce inflammation and lower uric acid levels in the blood, which is beneficial in preventing gout and related kidney problems.

Fish: Fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Omega-3s may help reduce inflammation in the body, including the kidneys, and are linked to improved blood pressure levels and a lower risk of kidney disease progression. Fish also provides high-quality protein, which is easier on the kidneys than proteins found in red meat.

Protecting your kidneys involves more than avoiding these harmful habits; it also requires a proactive approach to maintaining overall health through a balanced diet, regular exercise, and periodic medical checkups. By recognizing and modifying these behaviors, you may significantly reduce the risk of kidney damage and maintain long-term health.

Now that we have discussed the daily habits that may damage our kidneys unknowingly,