All About Your Kidneys

Your kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs which are located near the middle of your back. Each kidney is four to five inches long and plays a vital role in the body.  Kidneys are organs that are responsible for removing waste products and excess fluid from the body through urine. Your kidneys perform their life-sustaining job of filtering and returning to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours.  Kidneys balance and regulate the body’s fluids, salt, potassium and acid content.

Your kidneys also release three important hormones which are listed below:

• Erythropoietin (stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells)
• Renin (which regulates blood pressure)
• Calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D to help maintain the calcium for the bones)

Cleansing Your Kidneys

The kidneys are actually self-cleansing if you consume adequate fluids, fruits, and vegetables. Some homeopathic kidney cleansing recipes are said to enhance your kidney’s ability to remove waste from the body, to help keep blood pressure in check, improve functioning of the urinary tract and bladder, boost immunity, as well as clean the entire body.

Kidney cleansing remedies are listed below:

One quick and effective way to cleanse your kidneys is fasting.  Fasting for a day helps provide a well-deserved rest for your kidneys. Your kidneys will focus on flushing accumulated toxins and repairing damaged tissues.

Take about one and half quarts of distilled water. To this add a cup of parsley and celery leaves each. Boil this mixture for 15 minutes and then let simmer for an additional 10 minutes. You should drink this four to five times on the day of fasting. It is a great home remedy for a thorough kidney cleanse.

Some herbs that help assist the kidneys are dandelion, marshmallow root, juniper, nettles, parsley, red clover, ginger, and goldenrod.

Key foods to cleanse the kidneys are watermelon, lemon juice, cranberry juice, pumpkin seeds.

Vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, and magnesium in many cases should be integrated with the above listed herbs and foods.

Caring for Your Kidneys

Following the list below will help your kidneys greatly:

• Avoid smoking.
• Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine.
• Keep cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels in check.
• Be sure to drink plenty of water as tolerated by diet.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.

Please seek a physician’s professional opinion for medical treatment for any kidney/urinary complications. It is also wise to have a routine checkup. Before trying the kidney cleanse make sure to consult with a medical professional.