Habits That Damage Our Kidneys

Lack of physical activity, bad habits like smoking or alcohol, and lack of proper rest can negatively affect our kidneys and affect our overall health.

These sometimes forgotten and poorly looked after organs are very important for our body. They are responsible for cleaning the blood of toxins and regulating the salt and water balance in the body.

In addition, they produce red blood cells, balance blood pressure and prevent infections.

In this article we explain the habits that damage our kidneys and prevent them from doing their job properly.

What habits damage our kidneys?

The kidneys perform many important functions and if they are sick it affects our general health.

Often times we don’t realize that certain habits can harm them. For this we indicate the daily actions that are negative for these organs:

1. smoke

Cigarettes contain a large amount of substances that are harmful to the body. If we can think that they “only” go to the lungs, we are wrong.

Toxins travel throughout the body through the blood. When they get to the kidneys, they have to work overtime to eliminate what is harming us.

Obviously they do not succeed completely: there are still particles which are deposited there and which will weaken them.

2. Drink alcohol

It happens much the same as with cigarettes, but in this case alcohol affects the liver and kidneys in similar proportions.

Kidney function deteriorates when the body receives too many toxic or harmful substances continuously.

3. Sleep little

During the night, muscles, cells and organs revitalize and recover from all the work they have done during the day.

• If you do not get enough sleep (between 7 and 8 continuous hours), the recovery process does not end.
• See how you feel when you arrive at work after not having slept… The same goes for your kidneys.

4. Delay the time to empty your bladder

Refraining from going to the bathroom too much is bad for your health, not just the kidneys, but also the bladder and urinary tract.

This can lead to incontinence or kidney failure. Don’t wait until you are over and urinate when you need to.

5. Drink lots of coffee

It is the most consumed drink at the moment and, while it can be good when consumed in moderation, the problem lies in the excess caffeine in the body.

Remember that coffee dehydrates and works the kidneys too much. This additional burden can be more than harmful.

Also be aware that sodas (especially cola type ones) contain a large amount of caffeine and that they have the same effects as coffee.

6. Be sedentary

To have a too passive life alters the functioning of all the organs.

Spending hours sitting in front of the computer in the office or watching the television at home prevents the blood from flowing normally and causes fluid to build up in the lower extremities.

These are precisely two of the areas that the kidneys take care of and that cannot take care of them because of our sedentarism.

7. Eat too much salt

Excess sodium is not good for the kidneys. These organs regulate the metabolism of salt in water, and if there is too much salt, they cannot perform their functions as they should.

• For an adult, the daily salt intake should not exceed 5 grams (half a tablespoon).

It is essential to pay attention to this, because the majority of cooked dishes contain too much salt.

On the other hand, we recommend not to consume foods with too much potassium, as this substance cannot be completely eliminated in the kidneys and eventually accumulates in the blood.

8. Do not consume vitamin B6

This nutrient is essential for the functioning of the kidneys. Every day we should eat foods that provide vitamin B6. This is the case of :

• Potatoes
• Fish
• Chicken
• Fruits (except citrus)

9. Eat too much protein

Unlike fat, protein cannot build up in the body. Therefore, those which are in excess must be eliminated through the urine or the stool.

• In the first case, the kidneys are responsible for it during their cleaning work.
• When there is too much protein in the body, we are more likely to form kidney stones.

10. Do not drink water

The two liters of water a day is not a whim, an invention or an advertising campaign.

It is the correct amount of fluids that the body needs every day with what it loses through sweat, urine or various metabolic processes.

In addition, when we drink water, we help the kidneys in their cleaning work while we eliminate toxins and impurities.

11. Eat an unbalanced diet

Nowadays we can find many kinds of weight loss diets or miracle foods that promise results in no time.

However, they can be dangerous for health in general and for the kidneys in particular.

When these organs do not receive enough fat (which is needed even if one thinks the opposite) the blood is filtered with an altered balance and the body does not receive the necessary nutrients.