Two hundred quarts of fluid -- that's how much your kidneys filter and return to your bloodstream daily, reports the National Kidney Foundation. These vital organs also produce hormones that assist your other organs. Due to their varied and vital roles, poor kidney functioning can cause a host of health problems. Herbs and vitamins can be both helpful and harmful for kidneys, depending on your health status and the type and amount of herb or vitamin you use. Talk to a qualified physician before using herbs to treat this or any other health condition.
Herbal Diuretics
Herbal diuretics increase urine output by promoting salt and water excretion from the kidneys. These herbs are sometimes referred to as detoxifying herbs. Examples of major herbal diuretics include milk thistle and buchu, both of which have a cleansing effect on the body. Talk to your doctor about their safety and efficacy.
Vitamins for Kidneys
People with chronic kidney disease may need to use certain major vitamins in supplement form, due to restrictions in their diets that leave them deficient in some nutrients. Additionally, a chronic buildup of waste products can change the way your body processes vitamins, and your body may be unable to make certain vitamins. Commonly prescribed vitamins for people with chronic kidney disease include B-complex vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin D. Talk to a doctor about vitamins and their dosages before using them.
Safety and Cautions
Because over-the-counter supplements can build up in your body, particularly in chronic kidney disease sufferers, it's crucial to seek medical advice before experimenting with vitamins or herbal supplements. Major herbs with potentially ill effects include yohimbe, senna and ephedra -- an over-the-counter herb that was banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 because of its stimulant effects on the heart. Other major herbs are potentially safe for some, but may cause problems for people with poorly functioning kidneys. These herbs include ginger, ginseng, mate, dandelion, nettle and bayberry.
Considerations
Although kidney disease is not always reversible, it can be slowed with interventions other than major vitamins and herbs. People in the early stages of chronic kidney disease can retain remaining kidney functioning for years by controlling their blood pressure, maintaining healthy cholesterol and blood glucose levels, adhering to a low-protein diet, refraining from smoking and by using certain medications, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
References
- National Kidney Foundation: How Your Kidneys Work
- National Kidney Foundation: Vitamins and Minerals in Kidney Disease
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; The Kidneys and How They Work; February 2009
- National Kidney Foundation: Use of Herbal Supplements in Chronic Kidney Disease
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD; December 2009
