By ALAO ABIODUN

Our kidneys are small but powerful bean-shaped organs that perform many important functions in the body system.

The kidney is responsible for filtering waste products, releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure, balancing fluids in the body, producing urine, and many other essential tasks.

According the health practitioners, diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common risk factors for kidney disease. However, obesity, smoking, genetics, gender, and age can also increase the risk.

Our diet affects the health of the kidneys. One must therefore avoid these seven items or reduce its intake for optimal kidney health:

Red meat – Red meat contains a large quantity of protein. While the body needs some protein to grow, heal and stay healthy, too much protein makes one’s kidneys work harder.

Butter – Butter contains saturated fat, which increases your risk for heart disease. The National Kidney Foundation notes that heart disease is a major risk factor for kidney disease and vice versa.

Peanuts – Peanuts contain oxalates, a type of mineral found in kidney stones. In fact, calcium oxalate kidney stones are the leading type of kidney stone.

Alcohol – Alcohol can be considered the most socially acceptable drug, many see it as a “depressant”, alcohol can also badly damage one’s kidneys by changing the way they function.

Table salt – Salt is essential for our health. It helps regulate our blood pressure, control fluid balance, and helps our muscles and nerves function correctly. However, even though it’s an important part of our diet, too much can cause a lot of damage.

Carbonated drinks – Carbonated beverages are drinks that have been infused with carbon dioxide gas. It’s this pressurization of carbon dioxide that creates the bubbles and fizzing that makes these drinks so refreshing, but drinking too many may increase blood pressure, reduce kidney function and heighten risk of developing kidney stones.

Smoking – smoking too much can cause harmful effect to the kidney and illnesses in the body system. One cigarette alone contains over 4800 chemicals, and 69 of those are known carcinogens. (The Nation)

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