Kidneys, the real MVPs
The next emunctories we will cover in the Spring Detox series are the kidneys. I personally feel like the kidneys do not get enough attention and applause for the work that they do. Your kidneys are responsible for A LOT, including filtering your entire blood stream (about 40 times a day!), regulating blood pressure, maintaining electrolyte and acid/base balance in the body, excreting waste products, creating urine, helping with vitamin D synthesis, and more!
The kidneys are fist-sized organs that are located on the back side of the body, right below the level of the ribs and above the hip bones. Kidney beans do, in fact, look like little kidneys! Most people are born with two kidneys, though there are genetic variants where people may have one. The kidneys contain a bunch of tiny blood vessels. This is important to know because since they are tiny, they are delicate and can be damaged more easily.
Ways we can help support the kidneys through diet include:
Eating a wide variety of colorful plant foods, such as vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Eat the rainbow! 🌈 Colorful plant foods contain antioxidants, which decrease inflammation and support blood vessel integrity.
Eat a blood sugar balanced diet. When there is too much sugar in the blood stream for long periods of time, think of the blood as becoming stickier, which makes it harder to move with ease through the blood vessels. This isn't good for the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys. This is a big reasons why there is a link between poor kidney health and unmanaged diabetes.
Decrease intake of highly processed foods, as they often contain a large amount of sodium. For those with normal kidney function, using salt in cooking isn't to be feared, but since the kidneys work on electrolyte balance and processed foods often contain an overload of salt, this does put extra work on the kidney's function so being mindful is key.
Eat foods rich in omega-3 fats, such as seafood, nuts, avocado, olives, and olive oil. The seafood with high amounts of omega-3s include include: fatty cold-water fish (think of the acronym SMASH) Salmon, Mackerel, Anchoives, Sardines, and Herring. If you don't eat seafood, talk with your provider about a recommendation for a good omega-3 supplement.
It is also important to:
Assess your kidney function with your provider. This is typically done by running a lab test called a complete metabolic panel (CMP). I like to see these labs run yearly in healthy individuals, and more frequently in individuals with known kidney disease.
Assess your B vitamin status with labs. Deficiencies in B vitamins can increase a substance called homocysteine, which is irritating to the blood vessels.
If you already have known or suspected kidney disease, it is important to work closely with a provider as they will make dietary recommendations specific to your kidney health.