Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is essential for good health. However, it’s also beneficial to take advantage of certain aids to enhance these habits and protect your kidneys. Among these are beverages prepared with natural ingredients: juices, smoothies, and herbal teas.
Nature always provides us with all kinds of foods that can enhance this internal balance, facilitate circulation, and allow the kidneys to perform their functions correctly.
There are many fruits and vegetables whose regular consumption can do wonders for your health. And while you can use them in various recipes, often the easiest way to enjoy them is in the form of a beverage.
The importance of taking care of your kidneys
The kidneys are two fist-sized organs located in the middle of the back, just below the ribs. Inside them are the nephrons, which are their functional units.
Their main function is to filter waste and excess water from the blood and maintain electrolyte balance. They also secrete three essential hormones:
- Erythropoietin is responsible for stimulating the production of red blood cells.
- Renin is responsible for regulating blood pressure.
- Calcitriol, which stands out as the active form of vitamin D, allows us to maintain calcium in our bones.
Kidney function is very intense and essential for maintaining good health. While the body can survive with only one kidney, the risk of failure of the other increases. As a result, toxins cannot be eliminated properly.
Furthermore, kidney dysfunction can also have consequences for circulation and the heart. There is an increased risk of high blood pressure, blood vessel wall dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
Therefore, it’s very important to take care of your kidneys so they can function properly and be protected from potential damage. Diet and other lifestyle habits will be two of the keys.
Juices for the kidneys and circulation
To promote healthy blood circulation, it’s necessary to help the body eliminate toxins. We’ll need, above all, foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and, of course, antioxidants.
Additionally, we should make sure that they do not have excessive fiber content and that they provide water and compounds that help with diuresis.
Combining carrots, cucumber, and the juice of one lemon, for example, will help your body eliminate toxins and regulate blood pressure. We’ll explain how to prepare it and give you more recipes so you can enjoy it every day.
1. Carrot, lemon, and cucumber
By combining these three ingredients, you’ll strengthen your immune system thanks to their nutrients, and especially their antioxidants. And since taking care of one aspect of your health improves others, you’ll feel much better.
Ingredients
- 1 small cucumber (150 grams more or less).
- 1 glass of water.
- The juice of 1 lemon.
- 2 medium carrots (150 grams).
Preparation
- Wash, drain, and peel the carrots. Then, slice them (medium thickness).
- Separately, wash and slice the cucumber.
- Add everything to the blender and process until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Drink it immediately with a main meal or as a snack.
2. Lemon and watermelon
Watermelon is a fruit that provides plenty of water and fiber, making it an excellent natural diuretic. When combined with lemon, it creates a refreshing drink packed with vitamins and antioxidants that will help you stay hydrated.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of watermelon (220 grams).
- The juice of 1 lemon (50 milliliters).
- 1 glass of water (250 milliliters).
Preparation
- Take a piece of watermelon and cut it into small cubes. Make sure to remove all the seeds.
- Add all the ingredients to the blender and process until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
- Drink it right away.
- Optionally, you can add a touch of honey to disguise the acidic taste of the lemon.
3 Celery and radish
Radishes contain nutrients that may help fight urinary tract infections. They are also very low in calories. Don’t worry about their peppery taste; this flavor comes from glucosinolates, compounds with high antioxidant capacity.
Don’t hesitate to try the combination of radishes and celery – it’s a highly recommended way to take care of your health, thanks to its many vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients
- 1- 2 celery stalks (50 grams).
- A few radishes (100 grams).
- 1 glass of water (250 ml).
Preparation
- Wash and drain all the vegetables well.
- Next, slice the radishes thinly. Then, chop the celery into small pieces.
- Blend everything in the blender at medium speed until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Drink it immediately. We recommend enjoying this beverage about 3 times a week.
What else to know about juices for your kidneys
Drinking these types of beverages can help take care of the kidneys because they provide water, healthy foods, and specific nutrients that are very positive for kidney health, inflammation, and oxidation.
In them, you can combine other types of fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, orange, blueberries, broccoli, watercress, tomato, or beetroot.
However, these are not the only ways to support kidney function and prevent kidney damage. They should be consumed in moderation (one glass a day, for example) and accompanied by a proper diet. Overdoing it could displace other very important foods.
These juices are not recommended for people with kidney disease or dysfunction. As the Kidney Foundation points out, in these cases, it’s necessary to moderate fluid intake and the consumption of certain nutrients. Therefore, it’s essential to consult a doctor before adding juices to your diet.
Kidney disease may not cause any symptoms in its early stages. Blood and urine tests are a good way to monitor kidney function.
For this reason, if you have any doubts or notice any alarming signs, consult your doctor. These juices are not a cure for kidney failure, kidney stones, or urinary tract infections.
Other tips for taking care of your kidneys
Drinking juices, herbal teas, and water is a good way to prevent kidney damage. But other essential practices arepart of a healthy lifestyle for kidney health.
Below are some of the recommendations from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases :
- Preventing certain conditions that predispose individuals to kidney disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, or diabetes, is crucial. If you have these conditions, it is essential to keep them under control.
- Besides fruits and vegetables, choose other healthy foods such as whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or reduced-fat dairy products.
- Limit the amount of salt (both table salt and the salt found in prepared foods and preserves) and added sugar. For more flavor, you can cook with herbs and spices.
- Stay active daily and do physical exercise whenever possible and adapted to each person’s conditions.
- Limit or avoid alcohol and tobacco consumption.
- Get adequate rest and avoid stress.
One aspect to keep in mind when maintaining good hydration is that, if you suffer from kidney problems, you should choose a type of water that suits your needs. In this regard, we recommend choosing water with low or very low mineral content.
Very weak mineralization water has a dry residue equal to or less than 50 milligrams/liter, while weak mineralization water contains less than 500 milligrams/liter.
On the other hand, to take care of your kidneys, avoid water that has a high calcium or magnesium content.
Take care of your kidneys with these juices and a healthy lifestyle
Choosing these drinks daily can be a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. This is a good choice when it comes to kidney health.
However, it’s important to remember that this practice should be part of a broader set of positive habits. And if you have kidney problems, it’s always essential to consult a specialist.