- By Iram Hussain
- Thu, 20 Mar 2025 06:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Maintaining kidney health is crucial for overall well-being. The kidney plays a multifaceted role in filtering waste, regulating blood pressure and balancing electrolytes. Healthy kidneys also produce essential hormones, supporting bone health and red blood cell production. Neglecting kidney health can lead to chronic diseases, emphasising the importance of proactive care through balanced diets, regular exercise and timely medical check-ups to safeguard these vital organs.
In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr. Vishal Saxena, Senior Director - Nephrology & Renal Transplant, BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital listed common lifestyle habits that one should stop immediately to maintain good kidney health.
Lifestyle Habits To Avoid
Smoking – Lighting up a cigarette puts your kidney on fire. Smokers are four times more likely to have kidney dysfunction than non-smokers. Smoking also doubles the risk of renal cancer. Smoking is associated with high blood pressure and also can lead to fatty deposits/clots leading to a decrease in blood flow to kidneys leading to loss of kidney function. Benefits start as soon as you quit smoking and all the risks are reduced.
High Salt Diet – Salting your beans can cook up your kidneys. It is associated with high blood pressure putting strain on the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure. Daily salt intake of approximately 1 teaspoon daily equivalent to 5 grams helps in better control of blood pressure and prevents kidney disease.
Painkiller Abuse – Alleviating the pain for a short period repeatedly can lead to permanently scarred kidneys. NSAIDS in particular leads to loss of kidney function in multiple ways including a decrease in blood flow to kidneys, direct damage to kidney structure and worsening of hypertension. Chronic use of painkillers can lead to chronic kidney failure.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption – You may be sober but your kidneys are getting drunk. Over a long time, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to hypertension, repeated dehydration, high cholesterol levels and liver disease all of which can lead to kidney disease.
Eating Processed Foods And Sugar- Your taste buds can make your kidney cry. Processed foods are packed with artificial additives, added sugar, refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and high sodium, but are low in fibre, protein and essential nutrients. People consuming such foods are found to have a 24% higher risk of kidney disease.
Dehydration – Excessive heat can sweat your kidneys. Proper hydration helps in keeping optimized blood flow to the kidneys, prevents urinary tract infections and prevents crystallisation and formation of kidney stones.
Missing Out On Sleep And Sedentary Lifestyle – Do not sleep and keep sitting, your kidney will be paralyzed permanently. Sleep is necessary for the body to rest and repair. Kidney function is regulated by the sleep-wake cycle which helps coordinate the kidney's workload over 24 hours.