Kidney Cleanse & Detox

Your kidneys are a very important part of your cleansing and detox system along with the liver, bowel, skin, lymph and lungs. Some toxins that have been processed by  your liver to make them water soluble are eliminated from your body by your kidneys via the urine. They help to prevent toxins building up in your body damaging your cells and tissues. So you can understand that your kidney detox function is vital to your good health.

Your kidneys do a lot more than detoxify those nasty chemicals. They also:

• get rid of wastes like urea and ammonia that are produced by the breakdown of proteins that you eat.

• reabsorb nutrients and water vital to the body’s fluid balance

• excrete substances the body cannot use in 1 – 2 liters (1–2 quarts) of urine they produce every day.

• produce hormones to regulate blood pressure

• help regulate blood pH

An overload of toxins can cause irritation and the whole of the urinary tract becomes more prone to infection. Normal kidney function may then be interfered with resulting in water retention, mineral deficiencies and kidney stones.

Do you need a kidney cleanse & detox?

Signs of poor kidney function can include:

• fluid retention

• frequent passing of urine

• passing urine that irritates

• frequent bladder or kidney infections

• chronic lower back pain

• high blood pressure

• scalp irritation

• frequent unexplained fevers or chills

Improving your bowel function and liver detox will help cleanse the blood and reduce the load on the kidneys.  I am sure you have heard that drinking lots of water is essential for kidney cleansing and detox  but some doubts have been cast on that advice recently. Some researchers found that increasing water intake did not in fact increase the excretion of toxins. But the kidneys do need enough water to function efficiently.

Drinking about 8  – 10 x  8oz glasses of pure water a day should be sufficient if you are eating good amounts of fruit and vegetables as they contain water. There have been documented cases where people have become very ill from the effects of low sodium in the body from drinking excessive amounts of water.

If you are following a detox plan that includes nutritional support for the liver then that should take care of the kidney detox too. Many of the nutrients that are needed for the function of the liver are also needed for the function of the kidneys.  If you are following a herbal detox plan then that will include herbs that are also beneficial for the kidneys.

Juices for Kidney Cleanse & Detox

Potassium broth (recipe below) and raw vegetable juices are also good for detoxing the kidneys. A 3 day juice fast every so often including Watermelon Tea and potassium broth can be very beneficial. Celery, parsley and young dandelion leaves are particularly beneficial to include in vegetable juices.

For bladder disorders drink fresh vegetable juices that include beet (beetroot in the UK) , cabbage, carrot, cucumber, endive, spinach and watercress. Don’t alarmed if the beet makes your urine pink. About 10% of the population get this. The pigment that colors the beet does not get changed and is excreted.

For kidney problems include apple, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli cabbage, carrot, celery, cranberry, cucumber, endive, grape, melon, watermelon. Watermelon and melon are best juiced on their own. The diet should be low in protein and high in organic fresh fruit and vegetables. Alcohol, sugar, processed and high fat and carbohydrate foods should obviously be avoided.

Potassium Broth Recipe for kidney cleansing

There are a number of recipes for this. The basic idea is to simmer the vegetables long enough to draw out the potassium and other minerals so that you have a mineral rich liquid to help the body cleanse. It does not have to be exact. Make it to your taste.

Fill a large pot with organic vegetables – 25% potato peelings, 25% carrot peelings and whole chopped beets, 25% chopped onions, a whole large bulb of garlic, 25% celery and dark greens. Add hot peppers to taste.

Add enough pure water to cover vegetables, bring to boil, put on lid and simmer gently for 1  hour. Strain and drink only the broth. Put the vegetables in your compost. Left over broth can be stored in the fridge for 2 days.

It is important to use organic vegetables. to avoid consuming toxic insecticides, pesticides or inorganic chemical fertilizers while you are on a cleansing and detoxification program.