Perhaps you don’t think about your kidneys very much. If you practice yoga, your instructor might say something like, “Breathe into your kidneys,” and you have no idea what they are talking about!
Well, your kidneys are workhorses that play a very important role in your body. Located just below your rib cage on either side of the spine, your kidneys are about the size of your fists. According to the National Institutes of Health, the organs filter more than 200 quarts of blood each day, filtering around 2 quarts of waste products! From the kidney, waste products and water filter to the bladder, and you release it as urine.
Keeping your kidneys healthy and functioning, then, is essential for detoxifying your body and removing wastes. Unfortunately, many foods can harm your kidneys and keep them from functioning at optimal levels. Here are the top seven.
1. Meat
Diets high in animal protein can cause kidney damage. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, a high-protein diet may cause or exacerbate existing kidney problems because protein metabolism places a heavy load on the kidneys, making it difficult to eliminate its waste products.
A 2003 study in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that a diet rich in animal-based proteins could also increase the risk of developing kidney stones from uric acid, while a vegetarian diet lowered the uric acid and prevented formation of stones. Uric acid is one of the common causes of kidney stone and is a byproduct of eating foods that are high in purines such as meat, seafood, and fish. These foods may also trigger the other common type of kidney stones, calcium oxalate stones, because they increase the amount of calcium excreted in urine. How? Animal protein metabolism leaves an acidic residue in the body. Because your body favors an alkaline state, it pulls calcium and other mineral salts from the bones in order to return you to that alkaline state. This calcium can form calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Instead, eat a variety of veggies, grains, seeds, and nuts and you’ll get all of the protein your body needs.
2. Salt
Your body needs a little bit of sodium in order to maintain proper fluid balance, but you can get enough from eating fruits and vegetables. Many processed foods, however, add a great deal of salt in order to enhance flavors. The most commonly used form of salt is processed table salt. When you eat too much salt, your kidneys respond by retaining water in order to dilute this electrolyte in your bloodstream to maintain proper heart function. This places a load on the kidneys. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, long-term intake of too much salt can damage the kidneys along with the heart and aorta. Salt intake may also raise blood pressure, which can cause damage to the kidney’s nephrons, which filter wastes.
If you must add salt, use just a pinch of high quality Celtic or Himalayan sea salt.
3. Genetically modified foods
A large percentage of our processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients including corn, soy, rice, sugar cane, sugar beets, and canola. Seeds are genetically engineered for a number of reasons, including to increase pest resistance, make the plant immune to herbicides, or improve crop yields. Monsanto corporation is one of the largest makers of genetically modified seeds. A 2009 mammal study conducted on three types of genetically modified Monsanto corn showed negative health effects on the kidney and liver functions of rats. The researchers concluded that the three varieties tested created a state of hepatorenal (liver and kidney) toxicity.
Unfortunately, research on the long-term health effects of genetically modified crops on humans remains poorly studied at this time because genetically modified foods have only been a regular part of the Western diet since 1995 when Monsanto introduced the GM soybean seed that was immune to the herbicide Roundup.
Since we have not yet been able to measure the long-term effects of GM crops on humans, it is best to avoid them.
Instead, opt for organically grown produce and avoid common sources of GM ingredients such as processed and prepackaged foods.
4. Artificial sweeteners
Many people believe they are doing something healthy for their bodies when they consume artificial sweeteners because these ingredients are non-caloric. In a review of the Nurses Study, researchers looked at the role of artificial sweeteners on kidney function and found that there was an increase in kidney function decline with intake of just two diet sodas per day.
Your best bet? Skip the artificial sweeteners and stick with stevia if you need a little sweet.
5. Carbonated beverages
Carbonated beverages such as soda (with or without artificial sweetener) and energy drinks are associated with the formation of kidney stones. A 2007 study demonstrated this, showing that drinking two or more colas per day was associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney disease.
Instead, have plain water with organic lemon.
6. Dairy products
The problem with dairy products is similar to that of other animal proteins. In fact, the China Study showed that consuming dairy products increased the excretion of calcium in the urine, which has been associated with a higher risk of developing kidney stones. According to KidsHealth.org, reducing dairy can help people with kidney failure and kidney disease, because it can make the filtering work of the kidneys easier, delaying the need for dialysis.
Instead, try some unsweetened almond milk.
7. Caffeine
Caffeine in coffee, tea, soda, and foods can also place a strain on your kidneys. Because caffeine is a stimulant, it can stimulate blood flow, increasing blood pressure and stress on the kidneys. A 2002 study in Kidney International showed that long-term caffeine consumption exacerbated chronic kidney failure in obese and diabetic rats. Caffeine consumption has also been linked to kidney stone formation by increasing calcium excretion in urine.
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This has been extremely helpful, I’ve had pain in my kidneys for a couple of days which was making me feel very sick, I’ve since been off the coffee and realise I now need to cut back on my salt intake.
Very interesting reading, does chicken fall into the meat category? And, I thought fish oils were GOOD for kidneys?
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thanks it will help a lot to my mom
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thank you for your information
but i wanted to know how boost effect your kidenys
becuase some gilr told me
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Thanks for posting!! I only have 1 kidney as my other one didn’t develop probably while I was in my mother’s womb….anyhow, what you written is what my nephrologist told me. I don’t miss meat….dairy is a harder one for me to give up so I’ve reduced my intake dramatically and once you have some good vegan cookbooks, ya don’t feel like you are missing out. If anything you feel better:-) thanks for posting!
I used to be suggested this blog by means of my cousin. I’m no longer positive whether this submit is written by way of him as nobody else realize such unique about my trouble. You’re wonderful! Thanks!
Dear Kim,
Just came back from a nephrologist who told me I can go back to drinking tea with caffeine. He said it is not dangerous to your kidneys, but Ibuprofin and high blood pressure are the very worst on your kidneys.
Always getting mixed messages.
L
This is simply Chemistry 101. Kidney stones are formed due to chemical reaction or combination of two or more components. Absence of one makes it impossible to form a stone. Take Calcium Oxalate, a form of kidney stone: This stone is formed when there is a saturation of Calcium in the urine caused by too much sodium intake in our food or too much calcium intake. The kidney secrets calcium into our kidney and the minerals in the food we ate that are rich in oxalate binds with calcium and in the absence of high levels of water in the urine these oxalates together with the calcium will crystallize and solidify to form stone. The solution is to reduce sodium intake and elevate your water or liquid intake to a higher than normal level. Drink more than 8 glasses of water daily. I take 15 glasses of water plus other liquids (juice, coffee, tea) daily. Uric acid stones are formed with low water and too much Uric acid derived from too much animal protein such as liver and other protein-rich foods. If you love to eat protein make sure you drink a lot of water and lower to 50% your sodium intake daily.
I eat meat (bison, venison, fish, and chicken) pretty regularly and my kidneys are fine.. then again my body can process raw meat but I think you should add “only some people” or something.
nah men it can happen to anybody so what you basically do is eat in moderation
So if I can’t eat meat and no dairy products no salt and none of it is good for you what am I supposed to eat they seem prity healthy to me
According to a 2002 article in the Journal of Rheumatology titled “Gout, Diet, and Insulin Resistance Syndrome”, alcohol produces a greater affect on serum urate levels than a high protein diet. There may also be a link between fructose and purine intake causing gout and other related problems. Excess fructose in the liver causes disturbances in uric acid levels. The link for the European Journal of Nutrition wouldn’t pull up the article, but I am curious as to the level of alcohol consumption in the test subjects. Alcohol/fructose consumption along with high purine foods may be confounding. If your body is functioning properly, increased uric acid intake should also be associated with increased excretion, according to a 1980s Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology article. Eating sufficient vitamin C and proper hydration can help balance purines in the diet, along with limiting beer and alcoholic drinks, which are high in purines and augment the effects of purine-rich foods. Other foods high in purines that are not animal proteins: yeasts and yeast extracts, peas, beans, lentils, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, and mushrooms.
I just had a kidney stone removed a few weeks ago. I am so leary now about what I eat. Can you help me? I was taking a lot of supplements. I don’t know what to eat anymore. I drink lots of water now. plz help me.
I have had kidney stones from the age of 20 til last week and i am now 50 – this last stone problem was caused from my attempt to be healthy and add chia seeds to my diet along with my lapse on remembering my daily dose of 300 mg of B-6. with going back on the B-6 daily for the last week, i am happy to say that i passed a size 10!!! that was stuck & another from my kidney along with shrinking a size 15 down to 11 that is still in my kidney. i thought that i had read somewhere that there is a certain type of chia seed that doesn’t cause kidney stones??? any idea what that is? and i am possitive that B-6 & magnesium disolve kidney stones and prevent them from returning IF USED WITHOUT FAIL i slipped up for the last time!!!
Hi Laurie,
You may want to ask your doc what the composition of your stones are.
Acidic? (Calcium Oxalate)
Basic? (Calcium Phosphate)
Uric Acid ( diet rich in meats)
Struvite ( kidney infection)
Cystine (rare genetic disorder)
It may help to dial in where your diet needs to change.
Steve
I’ve had trouble wirh stone. Let it be knownstaghorn kidney stones are not caused by what u eat. I’ve had percutaneous surgery and laser lithotripsy three times. Almost had no kidney function at all. Fyi I eat very healthy and only drink water with lemon and when I say I drink water I drink about ten eight oz. Glasses per day. Sometimes the body does what it wants even if you do everything right. Sometimes it makes no sense.in fact at the moment I’m once again in agony and will probably need yet another surgery. I feel so lucky haha. But to those of you out there that get large stones for no reason beliwve me yoyr not alone.
You are exactly correct. I’ve had two kidney stones removed. My general practice doctor preached at how eating meat is a leading cause of kidney stones, and so, ad nauseum. I spoke to my urologist – a specialist in the field of kidney stones – said that anybody that tries to push a diet on you in the name of kidney stone prevention is full of hot air. Different bodies simply produce an excess of uric acid, which forms kidney stones. You can eat a perfectly healthy diet and still be prone to stones. Don’t let this article fool you. In fact, it was the inclusion of words like “organic” and inclusions of certain regions (“Himalayan sea salt”? What’s wrong with the other seas?) that made me question the validity of this article. Oh… in the words of my urologist, “Drink beer, at least once a day. I know a lot of beer drinkers and NONE of them have ever had a kidney stone.” He’s a doctor… I should listen to him!
We should take lots of water in our daily life to clean kidneys and lots of fresh fruits and fruit juice to clean kidneys .
sorry forget to add “not” word in my below post, so i repeat here that i am not eating rice since 12 years. so i should eat or not.
hi, i have also kidney stone, can you let me know about rice. as since 12 years i am eating as my family told it makes stone. i have stone from my famly side. kindly give me detail about this, thanks
Hi Kimberly, I love you you are the best
(I’m saying this while drinking coffee–I know naughty me :-/!)
I was wondering if you had a list of pre-packaged foods that were OK to eat for a woman on the go? I try to eat raw/something I make most of the time, but I like to have snacks on hand just to make sure I don’t “slip”!
I have been spending too much time at the groceries natural, prepackaged section wondering W.W.K.D? (what would Kim do?
When questioning if I should buy a pre-packaged product. I know that Mary’s Gone Quackers is Okie dokey but would you mind making a list of pre-packaged that are OK? I would love to fill my cupboard with them, because I feel they make me feel “safe” and not prone to eating the really naughty food (Nutella from the jar anyone?? Yes I have been THAT person)
Thank You Amazing, Super Woman
D
Hi yes what about decaffinated green tea powder and the varity of leaf packs in the plastic containers at the store with spinach, and other greens, i rely on that for my energy source….what are the least harmful everyday foods to keep ur system running lightly?
I have been browsing on-line greater than 3 hours lately, but I by no means discovered any interesting article like yours. It is lovely price sufficient for me. In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made excellent content as you probably did, the internet might be much more useful than ever before.
I believe the important thing to remember about any food is moderation. While all these foods can be harmful to, not only your kidneys, but other systems as well, I have to say that to claim that all these foods do harm to your kidneys is an extreme statement. Anything in excess is bad for you. Again, moderation is key. This is why a tool such as the DRI is in place. Table salt gets a really bad rap, but the truth is it contains iodine, an essential trace element. Without sufficient amounts a person could be at risk for conditions such as endemic goiter as well as cretinism. Protein is essential for the human body as well. Of course if one consumes ten steaks a day then of course they’re placing their kidneys at risk as well as their general health. And while there are diets such as the Atkins Diet that elminate carbs and encourage protein, these diets also recommend that the carb elimination only be done for 2-3 weeks, not for the rest of the person’s life.
Perhaps the bottom line here should be any substance is not good for you in excess. I was once overweight and tried every diet known to man. After I became more active and started working out and running, I began to eat what I wanted, but limit the portion and weigh it out. If I want pizza now, I eat a slice not the whole thing. I’ve lost about a total of 82lbs just from doing this and I still enjoy what I want to eat. The same philosophy applies to this article. Moderation, moderation, moderation.
Please do not assume that all table salt contains iodine. I have found both types of salt in the grocery stores, so the salt you find in restaurants, or at friends houses, may have zero iodine. I salt nothing, and have learned to like the real taste of foods without salt. The iodine I use comes from kelp tablets. To get enough iodine from salt would require you to eat copious amounts of salt, which would be extremely unhealthy.
I just had a kidney stone removed a few weeks ago. I am so leary now about what I eat. Can you help me? I was taking a lot of supplements. I don’t know what to eat anymore. I drink lots of water now.
Hi Kim,
I keep hearing about how spinach is bad for people who are prone to kidney stones. I would love to hear your thoughts. Maybe a blog post on this would be great?. Thanks!
spinach is high in potassium, as kidney function decreases potassiium builds up in the blood stream and can cause heart rate irregularities…i am not sure about stones
Spinach is sky high in oxalates…
You can get all 7 on a McDonalds diet. Imagine that!
I hope you’re kidding….Yes you can also probably eat nothing but pure sugar or anything you can find in a vending machine, if you eat less calories…But you’ll also probably look 70 at 50, jus fyi :-/
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Hi Kimberly,
Is decaf green tea bad?
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How about seltzer water? It is carbonated but unsure if thats one of the “nono’s” for the kidney. Thanks K!
Thank you for being an advocate for natural health and beauty! You are an incredible role model and I always enjoy reading your posts!
Thank you so much Jacqueline, much appreciated! xx
Is decaf coffee bad?
Hello,
Sorry to jump in here with a COMPLETELY unrelated question but I can’t seem to find the appropriate forum for the info…
I have been incredibly lazy in the way I make the probiotic salad–I just stuff new chopped cabbage into the jar with the old liquid mixture and let it do it’s thing–is this not good to do? If I can do it; how many times would I be able to I use the old liquid mixture before I need to replace it?
Love the book, it’s gotten to be one of my go-to gifts for girlfriends!
Hi Kimberly, just wondering if you take other vitamins at the same time you take your probiotic in the morning?
Thank you xx
Sorry Kimberly, forgot to ask, I can only afford to take 1 of the dr. Ohhiras probiotics each day – is this ok??
Thank you xo
Hi Kim
What do you think of this sunscreen?
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Hello Kimberly,
I wanted to tell you that I am a fan of the book and have been following your plan more or less ( the GGS has been a staple every day for the last five months). I have a question about hair loss. I feel the cleaner I get with my diet the more strands of hair fall out. I wanted to know what I can do and should I start taking a B vitamin supplement? Help!!
Hi Kimberly, I was recently diagnosed with Colitis Disease. Do you have any tips on how to treat my condition?
I have previously asked this but have received no response, I have had barriatric surgery and my diet requires a high protein intake, the sweetners i can go without as well as sugars but what would you suggest in replacing the protein that my body needs
My mom has kidney stone, do you have any advice how she take them out natrually.
She don’t eat meat or have salt she has high pressure. She does not have caffeine and she doesn’t eat dairy. She has 3 left n it’s been 7 years, any advice help. She got them because she use to take calcium pill told by doctors she stopped of course.Thank you Kim for always sharing.
Quinoa, Millet, high pH Grain, rice, wice, oats acid low pH. Low pH animal intake but avacodo high Protein & high pH. Look sources of Uric & oxyalic acid. Helpful. supplements Magnesium & B6. Get tested nutrittional tested know ypur present stated before taking Supplements. Avoid Governments Med. Nutrition is better. Happy day, Bless you.
Will get webbsite, later..
Hi Kimberly! I’ve been following your book for about 6 months now, and have experienced so many positive results, so thank you very much!!!
I just have a few questions – just wondering if you have nutritional yeast everyday? I can’t have it and was wondering if I’m missing out on something important?
Do you also recommend a particular brand of raw nori sheets & low sodium tamari?
Also, I eat a quinoa & rice pasta once a week – ingredients listed as organic rice, organic royal quinoa & water. It doesn’t specify if it’s brown rice – does this sound ok??
Thank you very much
Kind regards,
Julia xo
Kim- is sea salt OK? In addition, I’ve read that individuals with adrenal fatique should consume more salt. Is this true?
As a kidney donor, I particularly appreciate this!! Following the “Kimberly Plan” is part of my commitment to myself and family to care for my health post donation, and I love that you are helping others care for their health and this critical organ! Love, love, love you!
Lynn boschee your amazing
Godbless you!
Hi Kimberly,
Informative article and thanx for it.
I wish you would also mention that oxalate rich foods do tend to form oxalate crystals and stones. Examples of such foods will be rhubarb, beets, okra, spinach, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes, nuts, tea, chocolate and soy products.
Purine rich foods should also be moderated as they can cause uric acid stones. Such foods are sardines and anchovies, organ meats, bacon, scallops and shrimp, veal, venison and brewer’s or baker’s yeast
Well it does seem that a lot of foods can damage your kidneys but that does not mean you should stop eating them. Moderation is the key and most important:- Drink about 12 to 15 glasses of water spaced out during the day. This will ensure proper flushing of the kidneys and prevent crystal and stone formation.
If you are having kidney disease, you may have to avoid these foods of course.
Thank you so muh Kimberly! I appreciate you letting us know “important” stuff from time to time!!!
Great post. Love your book.
while I do believe in some of her advice, I can only attest to the fact that all things in moderation seems to be the key….my dear father in law is 96 and had the worst diet ever….i believe that what is good for one is bad for the person next to you! I have known people who eat well and exercise and then die at 40.
Just sayin…..
Go read “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” by Dr. Weston Price.
About how eating foods like this may not make YOU die younger, but your kids will have weaker DNA as a result, and they’ll be way more likely to have birth defects, disorders, &c.
It’s in the public domain, so you can find it in free e-book form, if you’re so inclined.
Great read. Shows that diet isn’t just a personal issue.