How To Protect Your Kidneys, Making a Healthier You.

Do you know where your kidneys are? Do you know their appearance? Most of all, do you know their function to your body?

Your  kidneys are located in the upper abdominal cavity below the rib cage in each side of the spine. Kidneys are bean shaped, and normally come in pair. The kidneys' main function is to clean and detoxify the blood and water in our body. The waste product filtered by the kidneys goes out of our body in the form of urine.

Removing excess water for the body is one of the primary function of kidneys. On the contrary, when the body needs more water, it is the kidneys job to retain water on the body.

A healthy adult should drink sufficient amount of water, at least eight to ten glasses daily, to keep the kidneys healthy and your body well hydrated, which is according to the National Kidney Foundation. Incidentally, anything in excess is also unhealthy and makes the kidneys work harder, so do not overdo drinking of water.

When the body has insufficient water, there is less blood flow to the kidneys and the blood becomes concentrated. When the blood is concentrated on the kidneys, its ability to eliminate toxins is reduced. This cause the problems in your body, toxins that were never removed.

Drinking Too Much Coffee
High blood pressure is sometimes caused by drinking too much coffee. This condition in turn will strain your kidneys, and in time will damage it and reduces its effectivity to function.

In 2002, there was a study made public by Kidney International, that too much caffeine consumption is relative and has connections to kidney stones production. Calcium excretion in urine is also increased by having too much caffeine.

Level of minerals such as calcium and phosphate in the body are regulated by kidneys. Important hormones are also produced helping regulate essential body functions such as blood pressure and producing red blood cells to carry oxygen and important bodily nutrients.

It is very important to have an efficiently functioning kidneys to stay healthy and avoid sickness attributed to a failing kidney. Most common symptoms that indicates kidney problems are: change in color and quantity of your urine, anemia,  dizziness, breathing issues, vomiting, tiredness and fatigue, feeling cold most of the time, bad breath, itchy skin, and sudden aches in the body.

Insufficient Intake of Water
Not rehydrating and not drinking recommended amount of water can also cause huge damage to your kidneys. The main function of the kidneys is to flush out metabolic waste from the body and if there is no water to flush it out, because remember that the kidneys retain bodily water if there is not enough. So enough water is needed for the kidneys to function efficiently.

High Salt Consumption
Regularly eating salty food can also cause damage to your kidneys.It also creates other health problems aside from those caused by kidney failure. 

Same as low water consumption, high salt intake, makes the kidneys need work harder to excrete the excess salt. This will in turn, can lead to inefficient kidney function, causing water retention in the body. Water retention can then turn to cause a hike in blood pressure and increase the risk of developing kidney diseases and other related problems dur to high blood pressure.

Studies recommends that the amount of salt to be taken daily is no more than 5 grams. For your estimation, one teaspoon of salt is about 6 grams. An amount exceeding this recommendation increases the risk of damaging your kidneys.

Drinking Excessive Alcohol
Alcohol drinking puts a lot of strain to your kidneys and liver. Excessive or binge drinking creates a very high concentration of alcohol in your body, and if done regularly will cause significant damage to your kidneys.

Alcohol or liquor also causes dehydration and disrupts the process function of the kidneys.
Drinking in moderation occasionally can be handled by your kidneys. Some say that in lieu of hard liquors, you can have a healthy variety of red or white wines.

Lack of Sleep
Most people ignore the importance of sleep, though some really cannot afford to have a regular sleep due to their lifestyle. Some are workaholic and some really have trouble sleeping. Six to eight hours of sleep is recommended for adults to help in your overall health.

When you are asleep, the renewal or regeneration of organ tissues in your body occurs.During the night when you sleep, renewal of organ tissues occurs. So, the less time you have for sleep, the less time your body heals and recuperate all your hard working organs. And in time damage to your vital organs will happen and your health will deteriorate.

High blood pressure and clogging of arteries are also attributed to sleeplessness.This increases the chance of you having kidney disease. From now on, try adopting regular sleeping patterns and maintain a good balance of rest and work. This change will definitely improve your health over time.

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Reference: www.healthylifeidea.com