Kidney Damage: 10 Bad Habits That Can Seriously Damage Your Kidneys

You make healthy eating and lifestyle choices daily to help your digestive, heart, and mental health, but how often do you consider your kidneys? Your everyday food and activity habits can lead to long-term damage and disease. Read on to find out how to maximize your kidney health.

How Drink Choices Affect Kidney Health

The primary function of your kidneys is to filter your blood, removing waste, toxins, excess water, and dead cells[6]. Urine is the body’s way of removing waste once it has been cleansed. Because the fluids you take in affect the fluids you excrete, doctors can detect kidney disorders or injuries through urine tests.

Not Drinking Enough Water

You’ve probably heard this advice by now: drink more water! Although it has long been recognized that loss of kidney function is associated with dehydration, until recently, it was believed that rehydrating would completely restore kidney function. According to recent research, chronic dehydration can lead to chronic kidney disease[1].

Picking the Right Fluids

Since you know that dehydration damages your kidneys, you may turn to soft drinks as a source of extra fluids. Unfortunately, the chemicals in diet soda and the fructose-glucose-enriched soda you consume can harm your kidneys. According to studies, individuals who drank naturally sweetened beverages were more likely to develop chronic kidney disease[2]. Check out this page for a comprehensive list of diet soda health hazards.

Lifestyle Habits That Damage Your Kidneys

Many unhealthy lifestyle choices can negatively affect kidney function and increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease as well as other dangerous diseases. Poor food choices, smoking and dehydration are just some of the behaviors that can harm kidney function and general health.

Smoking

Extensive studies have confirmed that using cigarettes and other products, such as smokeless tobacco, can affect kidney function[3].

Painkillers

A 50% increased risk of kidney cancer is associated with chronic opioid use [8]! NSAIDs should not be used to treat chronic conditions such as joint pain or migraines. Instead, consult your doctor about long-term, safe pain management options.

Over the counter medications

Some OTC drugs have been linked to kidney damage, such as Aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen.

Extreme exercise

Unexpectedly, intense workout routines can cause severe kidney damage. Its dangerous stuff! It is advisable to discuss the safety of your exercise with your doctor.

Poor sleep

Renal hyperfiltration, an early warning indicator of kidney disease, has been observed in middle-aged adults who sleep more than ten hours a night, including naps, or sleep less than six hours each night[4].

Too much protein

Renal hyperfiltration is brought on by a high-protein diet and is also believed to be caused by insufficient sleep[5]. It is important to remember that if you are generally healthy and eat a high-protein diet (2.2 g/kg), you will be fine. On the other hand, a high-protein diet can make a person’s pre-existing chronic kidney disease worse.

Too much sugar

Just like drinking your sugar in the form of soda, eating a high-sugar diet can lead to the same problems. Stay away from too much candy, chocolate, and desserts, for kidney’s sake.

Magnesium deficiency

Magnesium is involved in many aspects of healthy bodily function. Learn more about the relationship between kidney stones and magnesium deficiency.

Kidney Health Myths

There are two widespread misconceptions about kidney health that have been dispelled by research: First of all, according to some reports, alcohol consumption causes kidney damage. According to one study, consuming one specific alcoholic beverage (1.5-oz shot, 12-oz glass of beer, or 5-oz glass of wine) per day did not increase the risk of kidney disease [7]. On the other hand, excessive alcohol consumption poses additional health risks. Secondly, there are many who believe that coffee consumption also damages the kidneys. Sources have claimed that this has been denied. According to a 2017 study, there is no association between drinking coffee and the risk of kidney disease[8].

How to Have Healthy Kidneys

Moderation is the most important rule for healthy kidneys—as in life! You can support your kidneys by limiting the amount of waste and toxins in your body, as your kidneys’ main job is to filter toxins and waste from your blood. For more information on kidney health see this page on kidney cancer warning signs:

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