8 Surprising Things That Can Hurt Your Kidneys

Chronic Kidney Disease in India

The last decade in India has seen a two-fold increase in Chronic Kidney conditions, partly due to the rise of conditions like Diabetes and Hypertension. Here are some surprising habits that can hurt these key organs responsible for the filtration of blood, excretion of waste and regulation of fluids in our body.

Insufficient Water Intake

Your kidneys need water to filter and process all the waste and toxins that build up in your body. An insufficient intake of water can hamper this process and lead to the formation of crystals in your urine as well as form painful kidney stones.

Consumption of Salt

People with weak kidneys should avoid too much salt as it can increase your blood pressure, hamper urination, interfere with dialysis attempts and contribute to the build-up of kidney stones.

Consumption of High Protein Diets

People with impaired kidney function should try to avoid loading too many proteins in their diet as protein metabolites can be tough to process and put an undue amount of pressure on their strained kidneys.

Smoking of Cigarettes

Smoking tobacco can increase your risk of contracting ailments like Type II Diabetes and High Blood Pressure (BP) as well as restrict the flow of blood and cause undue strain to your kidneys.

Consumption Of Canned/Packaged Foods

Processed foods like Instant Noodles, Ready to eat Meals and Packaged Chips have little nutritional value and can contain overwhelming amounts of Salt (Sodium) that can take a large toll on your kidney function.

Processed Meats

High protein processed meats like sausages and frozen bacon contain large amounts of preservatives and sodium. Protein-rich foods should especially be avoided if you’ve been instructed to follow a renal diet as they can be strainful for your failing kidneys to process.

Alcohol Consumption

Binge drinking of alcohol (the consumption of more than 4-5 drinks in 2 hours) can lead to acute kidney injuries and Chronic Kidney Disease, which can in extreme situations, require you to undergo dialysis to perform basic renal tasks.

Carbonated Soft Drinks

Soft drinks, apart from containing large amounts of sugar, contain harmful additives like phosphorus (causes weakened bones due to calcium loss) that are exceedingly tough for your kidneys to process especially if you are accustomed to having more than two drinks every day.

Medanta Editorial Team

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