In this episode, I’d like to talk about how to improve kidney health, including the impact of a ketogenic diet on the kidneys and the benefits of reducing uric acid intake. Recently, I’ve received many messages from viewers who are experiencing kidney issues. I’ll provide a brief overview of the measures we can take regarding kidney health.
In traditional medicine, kidney diseases are often considered irreversible and tend to worsen gradually. However, based on the information I’ve found, the situation may not be that straightforward.
First, let’s understand that there are several types of kidney diseases.
The first type is chronic kidney disease, which means your kidney function has started to decline and is no longer able to filter anything effectively. Kidneys are vital organs with one of their primary functions being blood filtration. Another type of kidney disease is polycystic kidney disease, and both of these kidney conditions can reduce your filtering capacity.
The third type of kidney issue is kidney stones. Many people suffer from chronic kidney disease, where the kidneys start losing function and are unable to filter effectively. Approximately 10% of cases involve polycystic kidney disease. In reality, the outcomes for both of these conditions are similar, leading to unhealthy kidneys.
So, what increases your risk of kidney disease? The primary cause is undoubtedly high blood sugar and excessive sugar intake. Prolonged high blood sugar levels can damage your kidney function. If you have long-term high blood sugar, your kidneys will begin to deteriorate, making it difficult to filter anything effectively.
First and foremost, you need to cut out sugar. Additionally, you should avoid starchy foods like porridge, noodles, rice, and the like, as much as possible. Some might wonder what’s left to eat if you eliminate both sugar and starch. In reality, there are still plenty of options. You can consume lots of vegetables and even meats. The key is to reduce carbohydrate intake and completely eliminate sugar. This can significantly improve your kidney function.
Another reason for kidney disease is high insulin levels. Why do insulin levels rise? Firstly, it’s because of excessive sugar consumption, which translates to a high glycemic index. Additionally, if you have diabetes, one of its basic functions is to increase insulin levels to lower blood sugar.
However, high insulin levels pose a significant problem as they can lead to unhealthy kidney function. So, for many late-stage diabetes patients, kidney function starts to decline, and they may ultimately die due to kidney failure. This is the primary reason behind complete kidney function loss.
The first reason is high blood sugar, the second is high insulin, and these two are closely related. Most cases of kidney function loss are due to these two factors. Alright.
The third reason is high blood pressure. Prolonged high blood pressure can damage kidney cells. I’ve previously discussed how to easily lower high blood pressure by supplementing with vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. However, there’s an issue where many people believe that if they have kidney issues, their doctor might advise them to avoid excessive potassium intake. This statement is partially true and partially false. Potassium levels should be monitored, ideally staying below 5.2. However, this doesn’t mean you should completely avoid potassium; it should be consumed in moderation.
The fourth reason is the excessive use of Western medications. Nowadays, many people use Western medications as casually as they consume sugar, deciding when to use them on their own. But I would like to ask, how many people check the side effects of medications before taking them? Many Western medications can lead to kidney function loss, including long-term use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Of course, for short-term use, some people may have a valid reason, especially if they don’t have a foundation in natural therapies. If it’s only for a few days, I think it’s acceptable. Anti-inflammatories and antibiotics are originally designed for short-term use. However, in modern urban life, many people carry these medications with them for the long term, as if they are always on anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. Such individuals need to be particularly cautious because they have a very high risk of kidney function loss.
The fifth reason is smoking and tobacco chewing. When I mention smoking, I’m not referring to regular cigarettes but products like cigars. Smoking cigars and chewing tobacco can lead to kidney function loss. If you have such habits, it’s best to quit. This is different from regular cigarette smoking and specifically refers to the act of smoking cigars and chewing tobacco.
The sixth reason is alcohol consumption, which is well-known to harm both the liver and kidneys. If you occasionally consume alcohol, such as once a month, I believe it’s acceptable. However, if you have a habit of drinking every day or every other day, you should be cautious about your kidney function. Long-term alcohol consumption can eventually lead to kidney function loss.
The last reason for kidney function loss is oxalate. Oxalate is a fascinating substance found in most foods. Meat is one of the primary foods without oxalate. Foods like vegetables and grains typically have higher oxalate content. Foods with especially high oxalate content include kiwi, almonds, spinach, almond milk, and others.
If you already have kidney disease, regardless of whether it’s in the first, second, third, or fourth stage, you need to significantly reduce oxalate content in your body. You can look up the oxalate content of foods you commonly consume online, and if some foods have high oxalate content, it’s best to avoid them. Another important issue is that excessive consumption of oxalates can lead to the formation of stones in your body, such as kidney stones or gout, where crystals form in joints, causing pain. Oxalate is a major contributor to these issues, and I’ll explain how to address this problem shortly.
The common official perspective suggests that several primary factors contribute to kidney problems, including excessive intake of animal protein, meaning eating too much meat. However, this issue isn’t as significant as it may seem, and I’ll explain why shortly.
The second factor is saturated fats, which include fats like coconut oil. At some point, people started believing that all foods containing fat are bad. However, the body does require a moderate amount of saturated fats, such as coconut oil and animal fats, to balance its functions. A deficiency in saturated fats can lead to various problems.
The third factor is coffee. In reality, drinking or not drinking coffee doesn’t have a significant impact on kidney function deterioration.
The fourth point is to follow a low-salt diet. Many people say that if you currently have kidney disease or are experiencing symptoms like proteinuria, you should start following a low-salt diet. However, this isn’t a major issue; the body does need salt. If you don’t consume enough salt, you can also encounter problems. So, why do some people say not to consume too much salt? It’s because of potassium deficiency. If you have sufficient potassium intake, you don’t need to worry too much about consuming a bit more salt. Therefore, a low-salt diet isn’t a major concern, and that’s that.
After talking for so long, are there any methods for reversal? If you are currently in stages one, two, three, or four of kidney function impairment, is there a way to reverse it? The answer is yes. The first method is a ketogenic diet. One of the benefits of a ketogenic diet is that there are many cases where it completely reverses kidney function failure. I’m just mentioning this method, and you should research it further. There is a wealth of information about the ketogenic diet available online, and you can easily find it. You can learn how to implement the ketogenic diet. However, if you have kidney function failure, you need to be careful when considering a ketogenic diet.
The second method is fasting. I frequently practice fasting, and I’ve discussed how to do it in a previous episode that you can listen to. Fasting can effectively lower blood sugar, reduce insulin resistance, and activate growth factors that help regenerate cells impaired by kidney dysfunction. If you indeed have kidney dysfunction, the simplest method is to practice a 16/8 fast, which means eating only within an 8-hour window and fasting for 16 hours each day. Additionally, you can opt for complete fasting for one to two days each week. This should be sufficient. I often practice fasting.
The third method is relatively recent and is called the carnivore diet. This is entirely different from fasting. The carnivore diet involves not eating any plants and consuming only meat. Why do this? One of the contributing factors to kidney failure is the intake of too many oxalates. The carnivore diet completely eliminates oxalate intake, restoring balance to the body. Whether it’s the ketogenic diet or the carnivore diet, if you are in good health, both are worth trying. However, if you have a severe illness, such as the onset of kidney failure, I believe some of these extreme dietary methods may be helpful and worth trying.
You can find more information about the carnivore diet and the ketogenic diet online. Both of these diets have shown significant benefits in reversing kidney function issues, and fasting is similar in this regard. You can pay attention to these three dietary methods, and there are many people online sharing their experiences with carnivore and ketogenic diets that you can refer to.
Additionally, if you are experiencing declining kidney function, some foods and substances can be helpful. Quercetin and curcumin are two substances that can be consumed. Why are they useful? Because our bodies contain a substance called mTOR, which, if consistently elevated, can lead to serious diseases like cancer. Curcumin and quercetin can effectively inhibit the activity of mTOR, reducing its levels and helping improve kidney function and prevent some serious diseases.
Finally, distilled water is also essential. Our tap water contains a lot of chemicals. Even if you use high-quality filters, most pollutants cannot be completely filtered out. Personally, I use regular distilled water and add a small amount of minerals, just a few drops. However, if you have kidney function issues or kidney dysfunction, you should not add minerals; you should only use pure distilled water. Why is that? Because distilled water has a characteristic of removing minerals from your body. So if you are a healthy individual and consume distilled water without adding minerals for an extended period, it can lead to mineral depletion. But if you already have kidney function issues, the situation is different; you need to use distilled water to help clear toxins from your kidneys.
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