Kidney Care for Dummies

Dummies!? No not actual mannequins, just you and me, humans with our sugar cravings, dislike for boring old water, and general bad behaviour (as far as our urinary tracts are concerned anyway). Consider this a simple blueprint for the little twins hiding in your lower back that need our support and partnership to keep them ticking over and stop them screaming at us in the middle of the night. So here goes…

1. Reduce Sugar Intake

Sugar feeds the e-Coli bacteria, the most common cause of urinary tract infections.

Hidden sugars such as those in starchy foods (white bread, rice and pasta, potatoes and other starchy root vegetables) should also be severely reduced and replaced by their high fibre wholemeal cousins, and non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, brassicas etc.

Sugary drinks of the alcoholic variety seem to be a particular demon for those who suffer recurrent infections.

And, lest I forget, confectionary items: jellies, mints, chocolate or whatever your poison – it almost goes without saying that these guys will do you no favours once they’ve finished tickling your palate.

A general rule of thumb with sugar is that every teaspoon consumed suppresses the immune system for 6hrs AND feeds those nasty bacteria.

2. Start Drinking Pure Cranberry Juice Every Day.

This doesn’t mean the supermarket brands- they are loaded with sugar, which utterly defeats the point. Try good brands such as Biona and Biotta, which you will need to dilute with water- start with a couple of capfuls per glass, building up to 30mls (twice a day) till you get used to the sour taste :-0

3. Destress

Like all ailments, stress is the enemy. It inhibits your digestive process (contributing to the growth of bad bacteria), reduces your immune system’s capacity to fight infection and puts pressure on your kidney function via the adrenal glands which sit atop the kidneys. Those with a susceptibility to kidney problems often notice that “the urge” significantly increases when under stress.

So setting out on a meditation course, yoga, tai-chi or other practice to assist you in dealing with the stresses of general life would be a good move…you don’t have to be suffering from kidney problems to benefit from these pursuits either and there are loads of drop-in classes that allow you to dip your toe in the water and see what suits you best.

4. Drink More Water

The more dilute fluids are when they reach the kidneys the more it eases the load for them in their effort to detoxify the blood and filter out bits such as sugars, proteins and acid wastes. Healthy kidneys are the key to a nice, clean urinary tract. Try to drink around 2-3 litres of water or herbal teas, not substitutable for coffee, black tea, sugary fruit juices, smoothies and the like- though I’d love to say otherwise and “conventional” medical wisdom says these are juuuust fine. The former are major diuretics (stressing those kidneys) and the latter I don’t have to explain…again!

5. Use Herbs To Heal The Urinary Tract

Uva Ursi (for The Kidneys Too!)

Containing a powerful glucoside, arbutin (ahh, useful information I hear you murmur), uva ursi has a strong tonic effect on the urinary tract as well as being anti-infective, and has reported useful application in cases of kidney stones, cystitis and chronic irritation of the urinary tract. Uva ursi is best taken as a tea infusion (and nice when chilled and combined with cranberry juice), and as it has a gentle diuretic effect it may encourage a trot to the toilet – but it’s reasonably gentle and nothing to be scared of. Personally I would use this herb short-term, whilst infection is present as there some studies suggest long-term use may not be good for the liver. Uva ursi is available from most decent healthfood stores as a dried loose herb, and also in tincture (alcohol extract) form from A. Vogel.

Solidago

With a long history of use in coping with various conditions relation to inflammation of mucosal tissue and bacterial and fungal infections, solidago’s most common modern application is in the treatment of urinary tract infections such as nephritis and cystitis. It has tonic properties, helping to improve the health of tissue in the urinary tract and is suitable for long term use for those suffering from recurrent problems of the bladder variety. Definitely keep in your kitchen some solidago herb for urinary tract infections.

Many other herbs can help with urinary tract issues such as birch, nettle and couchgrass, but the two mentioned above are the most successful ones I have come across. Please let us know if you have personal experience of these or other techniques for coping with urinary tract issues so we can spread knowledge and awareness in our community of these safe, natural remedies.

Caution!! Recurrent infections of the kidneys and urinary tract can be signs of underlying issues, so consult a trusted healthcare professional if you are suffering symptoms that won’t go away even when following the above steps. Men over the age of 50 tend to suffer from frequency due to the enlargement of the prosate gland, a common problem as we age, but acute and persistent problems can be an indicator of more serious problems such as prostate cancer so, again, consult your doctor if this is a worry.

So to summarise…stop eating so many sweets, cut down on the coffe, take a holiday – and you’ll find you feel benefits in every area of your life, and you won’t waste so much time in the bathroom (though I hear more ‘EUREKA’ moments happen there than in the kitchen, office, and yes even the bedroom). Take care of your little twins – adios!