Kidney Health Made Easy: 7 Fruits That Will Cleanse Your Kidneys Fast!

Kidney health made easy. I'm giving you seven fruits that will help cleanse your kidneys fast. Now, truth be told, the kidneys are very complex organs. They filter your blood, they help you to maintain normal vitamin D levels, they help to keep you from being anemic, and they help with your bone health. Your kidneys also help to control your blood pressure, however, there are some things when it comes to kidney health that you cannot control. For example, if you're born with kidney disease. Nevertheless, there are many things that you can control when it comes to kidney health, such as what you put in your mouth, and the foods you eat. You can eat foods that can help to prevent kidney disease and foods that can help to slow down the progression of kidney disease and help your kidneys to filter better.

Most Common Causes of Kidney Disease

I'm Dr. Frita. I'm a board-certified Nephrologist, meaning I'm a medical doctor who specializes in kidney disease and high blood pressure. Now, kidney disease is complex. In fact, the number one cause of kidney disease is high blood sugar or diabetes. High blood pressure is the number two cause of kidney failure.

Other things can worsen kidney health as well, including excessive use of pain medications, like NSAIDs, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Also, excessive alcohol consumption can be bad for your kidneys.

Something as simple as dehydration can cause kidney failure as well. Being very dehydrated can actually lead to dialysis, and many people don't know that. There are many things you can do to help promote kidney health, and to slow down the progression of kidney disease. Eating fruits is one of them because fruits can actually help to reduce the inflammation in your kidneys, and help to cleanse your kidneys.

Seven Fruits For Better Kidney Health

1. Blueberries

Oh my gosh, I love blueberries. They are loaded with antioxidants and blueberries help to reduce oxidative stress and decrease inflammation in your kidneys, which can help your kidneys to filter better. Blueberries are also good for helping to lower blood pressure naturally, and we know that high blood or hypertension is a leading cause of kidney disease.

The other little-known fact about these delicious, blue, little sweet treats is that blueberries can help to reduce your risk for urinary tract infections and bladder infections. The resins in blueberries also help to keep bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract.

2. Apples

Apples, beyond being delicious, tart, and just wonderful, have high fiber, and we know that having high fiber can help to decrease cholesterol, and help to decrease inflammation in your vessels, including your kidney vessels. Apples also have high antioxidants, which help to reduce inflammation in the kidneys.

Another good thing about apples is that they're loaded with vitamins and minerals. They're high in vitamin C, and they're also high in potassium. Potassium can help to lower your blood pressure, because the more potassium you have in your diet, as long as there's no contraindication (meaning no reason that you cannot have high potassium), the more it helps you to excrete, or to urinate out sodium.

And we know that the lower sodium levels that you have, the lower your blood pressure. Not to mention apples are one of these low-sodium foods that can promote good blood pressure, and, incidentally, promote better kidney health.

3. Watermelon

Watermelon, as the name would suggest, has very high water content, and I already mentioned that dehydration, or not having enough water, can cause kidney problems, so if you have a very hydrating fruit like watermelon, that's a way to help the kidneys flush out toxins, and it can help to promote healthier kidneys.

The other thing is that watermelon has certain antioxidants like lycopene, which help to reduce inflammation in the kidneys. Watermelon also contains certain compounds that can help to relax the blood vessels, and when the blood vessels are relaxed and dilated, that helps lower your blood pressure.

Here's one thing to know. You want to make sure you consult with your physician, because if you already have kidney disease, then you may not be able to have a lot of watermelon. For example, if you are a patient, on dialysis, and you don't make much urine, having too much watermelon may actually cause you to have too much fluid in your body, or volume overload.

So, make sure that you consult with your physician before adding watermelon to your diet. Also, if you are a diabetic, and you're watching the added sugar content, then you may have to avoid some of these fruits as well.

4. Cranberries

Cranberries are another fruit that can help promote kidney health, and it's actually fresh cranberries that you want. Fresh cranberries have antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation in the kidneys, and, of course, help prevent, or slow down, the progression of kidney disease.

Cranberries can also reduce your risk of urinary tract infections. When you eat a cranberry, or when you drink cranberry juice, they often have a kind of a gritty feel. These resins in the cranberries help to bind to bacteria and keep the bacteria from sticking to the walls of your urinary tract, or of your bladder.

Another important benefit of cranberries, as it pertains to kidney health, is that cranberries can help to reduce your risk for kidney stones, and decrease the amount of calcium and oxalate in your urine.

5. Lemons

Lemons can help you maintain healthier kidneys and cleanse your kidneys at the same time. They have so many benefits. In fact, I love to start my day with lemon water, just squeezing a whole lemon in a glass of water to get my day going, and I'll tell you why. Lemons contain citric acid or citrate. Citrate can help to reduce your risk for kidney stones, and having kidney stones can ultimately cause kidney failure if you're not careful.

They also have many vitamins and antioxidants which help to reduce inflammation in the kidneys. Another benefit of lemons is that they have high potassium, and again if you have high potassium in your diet, the more potassium you take in, the more sodium you urinate out, and that can help to lower your blood pressure. Again, consult with your physician, and make sure that you're not someone who has to have a potassium restriction.

6. Grapes

I just love grapes. They're so sweet, delicious, and low in calories. All of these fruits are delicious, and so, the fact that they help with your kidney health is just an extra benefit. Grapes have a high water content, which, again, will help you to stay hydrated, and help to flush toxins from the kidneys.

Also, grapes have antioxidants, so they help to reduce oxidative stress, decreasing inflammation in your kidneys. Grapes also have high potassium content, which, again, the high potassium in your diet makes you excrete more sodium, which can help control blood pressure levels.

Now, if you are a person who already is on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant, and if you don't make any urine at all, then you are a person who will need a fluid restriction (the opposite of a lot of hydration). But one neat thing about grapes is that, if you're trying to keep yourself from drinking too much water because you have to have a fluid restriction on dialysis, if you freeze grapes, and chew them, or suck on them slowly, when you're feeling really thirsty, that can help to keep you from having a volume overload.

Again, make sure you consult with your renal dietician and consult with your kidney doctor, but, overall, grapes are another fruit that can help to cleanse your kidneys better, and promote better kidney health.

7. Pineapple

Pineapples are so delicious, sweet, low in calories, and a wonderful fruit. But what you may not know is that pineapples contain an enzyme called bromelain, which has anti-inflammatory properties, that can help to decrease inflammation in the kidneys, and promote healthier kidneys.

Pineapples are also loaded with vitamin C, something else that can help to promote greater kidney health, and pineapples have a high potassium content, which, again, can help to lower the sodium in your body to lower blood pressure. Consult with your physician, if you're diabetic, or if you're someone who has to have a potassium restriction.

How do you know if you need to have a potassium restriction?

If you have end-stage kidney disease, and you're already on dialysis, you may have to restrict potassium levels. Or if you're taking certain medications that have a side effect of giving you high potassium, like:

• Spironolactone
• Ramipril
• Lisinopril
• ACE Inhibitors
• Losartan
• Angiotensin Receptor Blockers
• Certain medications that have the side effect of giving you high potassium levels

If you're taking one, you may not need to have a fruit that has high potassium. Again, always consult with your physician, I can't stress that enough. But in general, pineapple, in addition to being completely delicious, is another fruit that can help to cleanse your kidneys.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. We took a complex topic like kidney health, and today we made it easy. I gave you seven fruits for healthier kidneys.  Again, consult with your physician, and consult with your dietician, to find out which fruits are safe for you to incorporate into your diet.

And if these are safe, you can put them in smoothies, you can have them for snacks, and you can even make juices out of them. If you found this article to be helpful and informative, please be sure to share it with the people you care about.