What Foods are Bad for the Kidneys?

Kidneys play the role of workhorses for human bodies. These are present just beneath the rib cage on both sides of individual’s spine and their sizes are similar to the size of fists.

According to experts, kidneys are able to filter approximately 200 quarts of blood daily and filter approximately 2 quarts of the total waste products. Starting from kidneys, water and waste products filter into the bladder and we release them in the form of urine.

Thus, keeping kidneys in fully functional and healthy condition is very much essential for us to detoxify our body via removal of wastes. However, most of the foods cause harm to the kidneys and prevent their proper functions at the required optimum levels. In this blog post, you will come to know few food items, which cause severe damages to the kidney.

1. Fish and Meat Products are Bad for Kidneys

   Diets rich in protein of animals may cause damages to the kidney. Any high-protein diet may exacerbate or cause already existing kidney problems, as protein metabolism creates a huge load on our kidneys and thereby, create elimination of various waste products difficult. In addition, diets rich in proteins of animals may increase the risk related to development of kidney stones because of the presence of uric acid.

   On the other side, a vegetarian diet reduces the level of uric acid and avoids formation of kidney stones. You should essentially remember that uric acid is a prime cause of stone formation in kidneys and it is a byproduct formed by eating fish, seafood and meat in relatively higher amounts like every day eating.

   Especially, meat-based food items trigger calcium oxalate stones, as they increase the level of calcium excreted in the form of urine and affect digestive pro-biotic adversely. Hence, in order to keep kidneys in healthy condition, you should make a habit to eat a wide range of grains, veggies, nuts and seeds to get the protein essential for the growth of your body.

2. Salt/Sodium are Bad for Kidneys

   Body of human beings require a small amount of sodium to maintain a perfect balance of fluids, which one can get enough by eating vegetables and fruits. However, most of the processed foods add relatively large number of salt to enhance flavors. Table salt is one of the commonly used forms of salt. When you eat salt in excessive amount, your kidneys give response via retention of water to dilute the electrolyte present in the bloodstream for maintaining proper function of the heart, which put a huge load on kidneys.

3. Genetically Modified and Processed Foods are Bad for Kidneys

   A huge percentage of processed foods come with genetically modified ingredients, which include soy, corn, sugar, rice, sugar beets, cane and canola. Seeds undergo genetic engineering for many reasons, including the aim to boost resistance to pest and to assure immunity of plants towards herbicides or boost yields of the crops. However, the main drawback with genetically modified and processed foods is that they cause excessive load o kidneys and thereby, may cause severe damages.

4. Artificial Sweeteners are Bad for Kidneys

   Most of the people perceive that they have switched to healthy diets for their bodies by consuming artificial sweeteners, as they contain non-caloric ingredients. However, the negative aspect of artificial sweeteners is that consumption of such products for a long time result in decline of kidney functions and finally, lead to chronic kidney problem.

5. Carbonated Beverages are Bad for Kidneys

   Consumption of carbonated beverages available in the form of soda and various energy drinks in excessive amounts may cause formation of stones in kidneys. For instance, drinking 2 or more Cola without or with artificial sweetener daily leads to increase in the risk of chronic kidney problem consistently.