Energy drinks are any beverage that is promoted to increase energy, alertness or athletic performance. While some of the ingredients in most energy drinks may indeed increase your energy levels, these same ingredients can also be harmful to your...
Your kidneys are responsible for filtering various minerals from your body, including magnesium. Magnesium toxicity doesn't appear to cause kidney damage, but if you already have kidney damage, taking magnesium supplements can lead to significant...
Ingesting too much of some common ingredients in soda could cause kidney problems and other health issues. Since the ingredients vary with the type of soda, the health risks change along with the product. Many popular soft drinks contain compounds...
The kidneys contain specialized cells, called glomeruli, surrounded by a bed of small blood vessels, called capillaries. The glomeruli act as small filters, removing toxins from the blood in the capillaries for excretion in the urine, while...
Individuals in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, or CKD, may not experience any symptoms. However, according to Dr. Jay B. Wish, M.D. at the American Association of Kidney Patients, as the disease progresses symptoms of kidney damage...
Your kidneys are hard-working organs that filter approximately 200 quarts of blood daily to eliminate roughly two quarts of waste products from your body. Too much vitamin D can place a strain on these organs and may provoke kidney stones. On the...
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, and is essential for the health of your soft tissues as well as your skeleton. You may not think of calcium as a potential toxin -- toxicity from dietary calcium has never been documented -- but...
Ginger root is a time-honored alternative medicine that has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of conditions. Even today it is useful in some medical applications, such as the use of ginger to subdue nausea. The use of herbal...
Green tea is healthy and prevents kidney damage when you drink it in moderation. Green tea is made from unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, which have high concentrations of phytonutrient polyphenols called catechins. The leaves...
Athletes often follow high-protein diets because they believe such diets will enhance performance. People trying to lose weight try them because they promise quick weight loss. Such diets are not for everyone, however. Increasing protein intake...
The dietary sodium in table salt is essential to electrical nerve and muscle body functions, but overconsumption of this electrolyte mineral presents health risks. When your blood sodium is too high from eating salty foods, your kidneys must work...
Soda is so common, it's the fourth-largest supplier of all calories most Americans consume, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. That tasty concoction of carbonation, sugar and flavor, however, can contribute to health problems...
Coffee, roasted from coffee beans, contains phytonutrients and stimulating compounds, such as caffeine, that have a variety of effects on your body. Too much coffee can have detrimental effects on your body, including your kidneys, mostly related...
It's a popular weight loss trend: the low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet. However, the long-term effects of such an eating plan are not completely understood. People with certain health problems, such as diabetics or those with pre-existing...
Drug-induced liver damage is either cytotoxic, or cholestatic or a combination of the two, according to the University of Southern California Department of Surgery. Certain drugs can induce fatty change in liver cells rather than necrosis, which...
The kidneys serve as the filter of the body; they help to remove unwanted material and waste. They also help to regulate electrolyte balance and blood pressure. They make erythropoietin, which is used to stimulate the production of red blood...
A number of kidney diseases exist that cause damage to your kidneys, which can decrease your kidneys' ability to function properly. Over time, this damage results in a buildup of wastes that are toxic to your system, as stated by the National...
Phosphorus makes up approximately 1 percent of your total body weight. Phosphorus, which is found in teeth and bones, is central to the production of ATP, the molecule that fuels the biochemical reactions that make life possible. Working with...
Diet is an important part of treating kidney disease. While managing the intake of nutrients, such as thiamine, doesn't make the disease better, it does help manage the regulatory systems that go awry as kidney disease progresses. The National...
Chronic kidney disease affects 1 in 9 Americans. Part of this is attributable hypertension, diabetes, glomerular disease and genetic problems. Regardless of the cause, kidney disease is best treated with conventional medicine. Alternative...
The kidneys, a set of vital organs, function as filters by removing unwanted waste from the body in the form of urine. According to the National Kidney Foundation, these organs also control acid content and calcium metabolism, balance fluids and...
Kidney damage is a serious and potentially life-threatening health problem. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that though the kidneys are well padded for protection, there are several possible causes of kidney and ureter...
Bodybuilders boast unrealistic bodies that are attributes to performance-enhancing drugs more than to a particular lifestyle. Such practices cause long-term health damage. Kidney damage is one of the most prevalent health risks of bodybuilding,...
Your kidneys perform the essential work of keeping your blood clean and chemically balanced. The most common causes of chronic damage to the kidneys are diabetes and high blood pressure. When your kidneys become damaged, they become less efficient...
Some medications are nephrotoxic, which means that they have an elevated risk for harming the kidneys. In the worst case, the drug causes kidney failure, while in other cases, the kidneys are damaged, but don't fail. The most common nephrotoxic...
As many as 25 percent of Americans over age 45 take cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, according to the April 2011 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Although statins effectively reduce the cardiac risks of high cholesterol, the...
The kidneys perform multiple functions vital to survival. Most people are not aware of the many risk factors for kidney damage. Kidney damage can lead to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Over 26 million Americans have chronic kidney...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2009, there are at least 4.5 million American adults with some form of kidney disease. The kidneys have several responsibilities, including the production of the active form of...
Most humans have two kidneys, vital organs that are a part of the urinary system. The kidneys filter wastes, keep a proper fluid balance in the body and help maintain blood pressure. They are susceptible to both sudden, acute damage and long-term...
Bladder cancer can refer to any number of cancerous growths in the urinary bladder. Learn about bladder cancer and treatment options in this video.
Kidney infection or pyelonephritis is a specific type of urinary tract infection (UTI) that generally begins in your urethra or bladder and travels up into your kidneys. If not treated properly, kidney infection can permanently damage your...
Bladder stones are small masses of minerals that form in your bladder, the balloon-shaped organ in your pelvis that stores urine. Bladder stones, also called bladder calculi, often form when concentrated urine sits in your bladder. Bladder stones...
Kidney disease is caused by the kidney's shutting down due to damage from diabetes or high blood pressure. Learn about the best diet for kidney disease in this video.
Strep throat, or streptococcal pharyngitis, is a moderately severe form of sore throat. Learn more about strep throat in this health video.
