Editor's Note: "Health is the foundation of revolution," yet in our busy lives, we often prioritize work and social engagements while neglecting this vital treasure trove of well-being. In truth, with a little daily attention and early prevention, health remains within our grasp.People's Health Network presents the "Healthy Living Insights" column, dedicated to compiling overlooked health knowledge for you. We serve as your health resource center, partnering with you to pursue wellness to the fullest!
Eight Golden Rules for Kidney Disease Prevention
Following these eight golden rules can effectively reduce the risk of kidney disease and safeguard kidney health.
1. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
A regular routine and consistent exercise are crucial. Develop a personalized exercise plan—such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, or Tai Chi—ensuring you don’t feel exhausted afterward. Stick with it! Moderate exercise helps control blood sugar, maintain healthy blood pressure, and lower kidney disease risk.
2. Eat a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight
Since disease often originates from what we eat, preventing kidney disease requires balanced nutrition and weight management. Choose fresh ingredients and healthy cooking methods. Limit daily salt intake to 5-6g (about 1 teaspoon) per person. Avoid processed foods high in salt, preservatives, and additives. Obesity is closely linked to kidney disease, so be especially mindful of avoiding abdominal obesity.
3. Ensure Adequate Hydration
Chronic dehydration can lead to urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Scientific hydration helps prevent kidney disease. Adults should aim for 1500-1700 ml of water daily, preferably plain water or lightly brewed tea. Increase intake during hot weather, intense exercise, heavy sweating, or if you have kidney stones.Distribute water intake evenly throughout the day, avoiding large volumes consumed in short bursts. However, patients with severe kidney impairment, significant edema, or heart failure should restrict fluid intake.
4. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption
Harmful substances in tobacco can damage kidney cells, impair tubular function, and affect renal hemodynamics, leading to dose-dependent decline in kidney function.For patients with chronic kidney disease, smoking significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular complications and mortality. Chronic heavy alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for acute kidney injury and can lead to elevated blood uric acid levels, gout, and increased creatine kinase levels.
5. Avoid indiscriminate medication use and be vigilant about drug interactions
Drug-induced kidney injury is a major cause of acute kidney injury. Older adults are at high risk due to reduced renal perfusion, impaired drug excretion and tubular repair function, and comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular diseases.The most common drugs causing kidney damage include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aminoglycoside antibiotics, contrast agents, and Chinese herbal medicines containing aristolochic acid. All these medications should be used under a physician's guidance, and long-term high-dose use should be avoided.Regular monitoring of blood glucose, lipids, and uric acid is crucial. Long-term control of these indicators can effectively reduce or delay the onset and progression of chronic kidney disease. Patients with these conditions are advised to undergo regular urine tests, including routine urine analysis and microalbuminuria screening. If symptoms such as increased urinary foam or edema appear, prompt consultation with a nephrologist is essential.
7. Monitor Blood Pressure
Hypertensive nephropathy refers to structural and functional kidney damage caused by high blood pressure, serving as a major cause of end-stage renal disease. Blood pressure readings between 130/80–139/89 mmHg indicate prehypertension, requiring lifestyle modifications and active blood pressure management. If blood pressure consistently exceeds 140/90 mmHg, initiate medication.Patients with proteinuria should aim to maintain blood pressure below 130/80 mmHg while monitoring urine protein levels and renal function changes. 8. Regular Health Checkups Routine physical examinations can effectively detect early kidney damage. Recommended tests include urinalysis, renal function assessment, and renal ultrasound.Patients at high risk for kidney disease—including those with hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, gout, cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease, obesity, or sleep apnea—should undergo regular hospital testing for the above items. When necessary, additional assessments such as urine microalbumin/creatinine ratio, tubular function tests, renal vascular ultrasound, and fundus examinations should be performed.
Warning! Five Distress Signals from Your Kidneys
1. Changes in Urine Volume
Healthy individuals typically excrete 1000–2000 milliliters of urine daily, averaging 1500 milliliters. Both increased and decreased urine output may indicate kidney disease.Particularly concerning is frequent nighttime urination—if you find yourself getting up multiple times at night despite minimal fluid intake before bed, be vigilant for potential kidney issues.
2. Changes in Urine Characteristics
Healthy urine is typically clear and pale yellow, though it may appear slightly darker after dehydration or upon first urination in the morning. Red-tinged urine or excessive foam in urine warrants a visit to a nephrologist.
3. Edema
The kidneys regulate water metabolism in the body. When kidney function declines, fluid retention occurs. Morning puffiness around the eyes or swelling in the feet and legs may indicate kidney issues.
4. Digestive Symptoms like Nausea and Vomiting
Advanced kidney disease can impair gastrointestinal function, causing nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If these symptoms occur, consult a gastroenterologist while also ruling out kidney disease.
5. Skin Itching
In end-stage kidney disease, urea unable to be excreted through urine is released through the skin, causing irritation. Additionally, accumulated toxins in the body can lead to peripheral neuropathy, which also triggers skin itching.
Shaking the Kidneys to Replenish Kidney Qi
From a traditional perspective, the kidneys govern bone marrow production and connect kidney qi to brain qi. Sufficient kidney essence supports robust mental capacity. Excessive depletion of kidney qi can lead to insomnia, fatigue, and susceptibility to colds. In such cases, the "shaking the kidneys" method is recommended to replenish kidney qi and restore physical and mental vitality.
"Shaking the kidneys" involves stimulating the Shenshu acupoint through rhythmic shaking. The technique is as follows: Make fists with both hands, keeping the palms hollow, and place them on the Shenshu points (located at the waist eyes). Then, perform toe-tapping jumps without lifting the toes off the ground. Keep the fists stationary while the entire body shakes with the movement until a mild warmth is felt in the waist.
The benefit of this kidney-shaking practice lies in its ability to stimulate internal organ movement through vibration, enhancing overall qi and blood circulation. Simultaneously, the fists massage the Kidney Shu points, invigorating kidney qi and nourishing the kidneys. Historically, this exercise was hailed as the "Golden Cabinet Kidney Qi Pill" in traditional Chinese medicine, proving highly effective for those with kidney deficiency or chronic lumbar muscle strain.
Unhealthy Vegetarian Diets Harm Kidneys
Many firmly believe that vegetarian diets are low in protein and thus beneficial for kidney health. However, a study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reveals that vegetarianism requires careful consideration. While a healthy vegetarian diet can protect the kidneys and reduce kidney disease risk, an unhealthy diet high in starch and polysaccharides may actually increase the risk of kidney damage.
Dr. Casey Rebozzi, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her team studied dietary habits and kidney function in 14,686 middle-aged participants. Half of the participants were followed for at least 24 years, during which 4,343 cases of chronic kidney disease were identified.Comparative analysis revealed that participants adhering to a healthy vegetarian diet had a 14% lower risk of kidney disease compared to those who rarely consumed such diets. Conversely, those frequently consuming unhealthy vegetarian diets faced an 11% higher risk of kidney disease compared to those who rarely ate them.Researchers indicated that healthy plant-based foods (especially fruits and vegetables) aid the kidneys in eliminating toxins from the body, placing significantly less strain on the kidneys than acid-rich meat-based diets.
These findings suggest that reducing meat consumption and increasing intake of healthy plant-based foods can help protect kidney health, effectively lowering the risk of kidney function impairment and kidney disease.Healthy plant-based foods include: whole grains, fruits like apples, pears, and oranges, dark leafy greens such as broccoli, nuts, and legumes. Unhealthy plant-based foods primarily consist of: starchy foods like potatoes, fruit juices (not whole fruits), sugary beverages, and high-sugar foods such as candy, cakes, and chocolate.