Your kidneys are vital organs that filter waste and toxins from your blood to keep you healthy. However, poor diet, medications, infections, or diseases can damage your kidneys over time. Fortunately, many foods can help cleanse and detox your kidneys naturally.
In this article, we will reveal 10 kidney-cleansing foods packed with nutrients to support kidney health and prevent damage. Keep reading to learn how cranberries, lemon, garlic, olive oil, apples and more can improve your kidney function!
Cranberries
Cranberries contain antioxidants and a compound called quinic acid that gets converted into hippuric acid. Hippuric acid helps flush out excess uric acid from the kidneys to prevent kidney stones.
The polyphenols and antioxidants in cranberries also reduce inflammation and oxidative damage linked to chronic kidney disease. What’s more, cranberries prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) by stopping bacteria from adhering to the urinary tract. This protects the kidneys from dangerous infections.
Studies show that consuming cranberries daily significantly reduces the risk of painful UTIs. Enjoy fresh, frozen or dried cranberries, or drink pure cranberry juice.
Lemon
Lemons are loaded with citric acid and vitamin C. The citric acid binds with calcium in urine to inhibit kidney stones. In fact, lemonade therapy (4 oz lemon juice + 2 liters water daily) is very effective at preventing calcium oxalate stones.
The antioxidant vitamin C in lemons also fights infections to protect the kidneys. Simply squeeze lemon juice into water or tea to reap the benefits.
Seaweed
Seaweed like nori, wakame and kombu are nutritional powerhouses packed with iodine, antioxidants and polysaccharides. Studies show seaweed protects the kidneys from diabetes-induced damage by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress.
The alginates in seaweed also bind to heavy metals and toxins so your body can eliminate them before they reach the kidneys. Enjoy seaweed wraps, add it to soups and salads or use it to make sushi.
Garlic
Garlic contains a sulfur compound called allicin that gives it antibiotic, antifungal and antioxidant properties. According to research, allicin is beneficial for treating chronic kidney disease. It reduces urea nitrogen and creatinine levels while increasing glutathione and superoxide dismutase to protect kidney cells.
Garlic’s diuretic effect also increases urine output to flush away toxins and prevent painful kidney stones. Eat raw garlic, add chopped garlic to dishes, take garlic supplements or apply garlic oil topically over your kidneys.
Grapes
The skin and seeds of grapes are packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant chemicals like resveratrol, quercetin and anthocyanins. These compounds can reverse kidney damage caused by inflammation, high blood pressure and toxins.
Grapes also contain citric acid to prevent kidney stones and lower high blood pressure levels to protect your kidneys from further damage. Enjoy fresh or frozen grapes as a snack or added to smoothies.
Blueberries
Similar to grapes, blueberries contain antioxidant anthocyanins that protect the kidneys from oxidative damage leading to chronic kidney disease. Blueberries also lower inflammation and urinary excretion of albumin to prevent further kidney injury.
Add fresh or frozen blueberries to smoothies, oatmeal and salads or simply enjoy a bowl of berries. The options are endless when it comes to incorporating this kidney-friendly food into your diet!
Watermelon
Watermelon is 92% water, making it an ideal food to flush toxins out of your kidneys by increasing urine production. Its high potassium levels also prevent salt and fluid retention to reduce pressure on your kidneys.
Additionally, watermelon contains lycopene, a potent antioxidant that protects the kidneys from cell damage and even kidney cancer. Enjoy fresh watermelon as a snack, in salads or blended into a juice or smoothie.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is rich in oleic acid and polyphenols that reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the kidneys. Since high blood pressure damages the kidneys’ blood vessels over time, olive oil’s blood pressure-lowering effects give your kidneys an added layer of protection.
Use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings, drizzled over meals, or lightly sautéed with garlic and veggies to reap the kidney-cleansing rewards.
Cabbage
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage contain anthocyanins and vitamin C, providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the kidneys. Studies reveal that anthocyanin-rich diets reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease by 29%.
Cabbage also helps your body produce more glutathione, a natural detoxifier that eliminates wastes and toxins from the kidneys. Enjoy raw cabbage in coleslaws and salads, roasted cabbage wedges or cabbage soup to protect your kidneys.
Apples
Apples are jam-packed with antioxidants like quercetin along with pectin fiber and vitamin C. These nutrients protect the kidneys from inflammation, infections and oxidative damage linked to chronic kidney disease.
The pectin fiber also binds to toxins so they are eliminated in stool rather than absorbed into your bloodstream and filtered through your kidneys. Plus, apples’ high water content and low sodium helps reduce fluid and salt retention to minimize kidney strain.
Multiple studies reveal that eating apples lowers the risk of kidney issues and kidney disease-related mortality. Enjoy apples whole, baked, sautéed or blended into smoothies to safeguard your kidney health every day.
Conclusion
Your kidneys face constant exposure to toxins, inflammation and infections. Over time this can lead to serious kidney damage or disease. Thankfully, adding more kidney-cleansing foods like cranberries, lemons, cabbage, blueberries, garlic and olive oil to your diet provides vital nutrients, antioxidants and compounds to flush out toxins, prevent kidney stones, reduce inflammation and protect kidney cells.
Pair these foods with staying well hydrated, managing chronic health conditions and avoiding nephrotoxic chemicals to keep your kidneys functioning at their best! Let us know which of these 10 foods you plan to incorporate to start cleansing your kidneys today.