The kidneys, which are bean-shaped organs, filter blood, excrete waste in the form of urine, generate hormones, regulate mineral and water levels, and much more. However, there are some foods you’re eating every day that are slowly damaging your kidneys due to the high proportion of the chemical compounds that they contain, which badly affect the kidneys and damage them over time. According to Healthline, the foods are listed below.
1. There’s a lot of protein in red meat. While protein helps your body develop, repair, and maintain health, too much of it can tax your kidneys.
2. Potassium, a substance that regulates how our muscles and nerves work, is found in avocados. Potassium is essential for maintaining proper fluid, electrolyte, and pH balance, and it also plays a role in keeping your heart beating regularly. Hyperkalemia, or high potassium levels in the blood, is a common complication of kidney illness. Nausea, weakness, numbness, and a sluggish heart rate are all indications of hyperkalemia.
3. Kidney stones are made of a mineral called oxalates, and peanuts have them. Stones made of calcium oxalate are the most common kind of kidney stone. If you’ve ever had a kidney stone made of calcium oxalate, cutting back on oxalate-containing foods may help you avoid getting another one.
4. The high levels of sodium as well as protein in processed meats are harmful to the kidneys. To lose weight, try eating leaner cuts of entire meats.
5. Aside from the liver, other vital organs in the body also contain chemical compounds called purines, which are abundant in meat. Uric acid crystallizes in your joints or forms stones in your kidneys when there is an excess of purine in the system.
6. Veggies have many health benefits, yet canned vegetables have a high salt content despite their health benefits. When your blood salt levels are too high, your kidneys have a harder time filtering excess water out of your blood. If you don’t have access to fresh or refrigerated vegetables, wash packaged vegetables in water before using them in a recipe.
