Hello everyone, my name is Katherine and this is 00Kidney. Welcome to our
journey together to a better kidney health! Today we talk about home remedies for kidney
problems that are almost free or at least very cheap and, most importantly, that are actually
proven by science to work. Is this really possible?
Well, for this video, I've examined the studies, I've double checked all the
sources and I've compared the results. What I found is that there are 3 home
remedies you can use to improve your kidney health that are proven by science to work
and that are extremely cheap to buy. And I know that health truly is the most
valuable thing in life, and should be prioritized above all else.
But it's also true that healthcare is getting more expensive every day,
so if there are ways of taking care of our kidneys without spending money, why not?
So, I made this video to answer just one question: is it possible to improve kidney health without
paying anything? Well, let's see.
Our first entry today is Magnesium
Magnesium is a key mineral in the body. And it's also a home remedy that's as
underrated as cheap. And it's also very effective,
because, half of the US population isn't getting their recommended magnesium intake from food.
This is what the experts say. People who get less than the
recommended amount of magnesium are more likely to have elevated inflammation markers,
more risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.
And, while serious magnesium deficiencies are rare, unfortunately older adults and
those suffering from diabetes or kidney disease are more likely to need more magnesium.
Now, looking at what magnesium insufficiency can cause, is clear, in my opinion,
that people with kidney disease should focus on getting enough magnesium in their diet.
I mean, you absolutely have to avoid both insulin resistance and high blood pressure
if you want to repair your kidneys.
But today's video is not about assumptions, it's about science.
There's a study conducted on CKD patients in stage 5.
This study found associations between higher levels of serum magnesium and improved survival
among patients suffering from CKD stage 5 and end-stage renal disease
Also, higher levels of serum Magnesium are associated with reduced progression of CKD.
What's more, in a meta-analysis of 34 studies, the 2000 participants took between
240 and 960 milligrams of magnesium each day. And they got a reduction in blood pressure by an
average of 2 over 1.8 millimeters of mercury. All of these studies were randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. This is very important to
ensure that the results are valid. Now, according to the researchers,
taking around 400 mg of magnesium supplements daily was the best dosage.
I'll show what brands sell the best magnesium supplements in a moment,
first let's consider one thing: the best way to prevent deficiency
is to eat a balanced diet that includes whole, nutrient-dense foods.
The best dietary sources of magnesium are Whole grains. One cup (170 grams) of
oats contains 74% of the daily value. Nuts. Twenty almonds pack 17% of the DV.
Dark chocolate. One ounce (30 grams) of dark chocolate offers 15% of the DV.
Dark green, leafy vegetables. One ounce (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 6% of the DV.
Also remember that eating whole foods is always best. Magnesium
can be lost during refinement and processing. But, as you may have noticed, all these foods
are also rich in potassium or phosphorus. Many of these are the same foods that doctors
recommend people with kidney disease to avoid or to eat in limited amounts.
This may even be part of the reason why kidney patients are
more at risk for magnesium deficiency. However, if you have a magnesium deficiency,
and this can be confirmed with a blood test, supplements may be necessary.
Now, finding the right magnesium supplement may be trickier than you may think.
Because, while most supplements are very cheap, you see, as low as 5 dollars per 180 pills
not all sources of magnesium are equal. For example, Magnesium Citrate and magnesium
oxide are usually used as a laxative. And these are usually the cheaper supplements
you can find. So if you don't want to
risk this side effect, stay away from oxide and citrate forms of magnesium.
So, prefer a better kind of magnesium such as Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium Malate Magnesium Aspartate
The reason you'd want to supplement with one of these types is they have a high absorption rate.
There are brands on amazon.com starting from just about 15$ for 180 capsules of 425 mg of
magnesium glycinate. This dosage is ok,
maybe just a bit high. You should be able to have this dosage without problems in stage 1 to 3.
Stages 4 and 5 may have a possible tendency that it may increase your magnesium levels so,
absolutely don't forget to check with your doctor if supplementing magnesium is right for you.
Magnesium supplements may interact with certain medicines, including diuretics,
heart medicines, or antibiotics. So, again, check with your doctor.
But I really think that people with kidney disease should consider a magnesium supplementation,
especially if suffering from high blood pressure.
And, since this video is about prices, I believe that 15 $ for 180 capsules, or about
6 months worth of supplementation, is not a lot. Especially because magnesium can really help you.
But it's not free, right? Well, maybe the next home remedy is actually the answer
to the question of this video. Baking soda.
Talk about an affordable natural remedy, a box typically costs a dollar or even less.
Many people keep a box of baking soda in their home for the many uses it has. It's used for
cleaning, for baking, as a mouthwash, as a deodorant and even for treating heartburn.
Now, and I'm not saying this lightly, baking soda may actually save your life
if you have kidney disease. But baking soda is not going to
give everyone the same results. Unlike magnesium, which will give
some benefits to everyone, baking soda is only useful for some selected patients.
The reason behind this is metabolic acidosis.
a complication of CKD that can be alleviated with baking soda.
Really important, because metabolic acidosis is known to seriously damage the kidneys.
So, if you have this condition, you need to find a way to stop it.
And baking soda can do just this: it helps the kidneys to keep acidity-alkalinity in balance.
Now, what I'm saying here is proven by science: there are studies confirming that administering
baking soda can effectively slow down the progression of kidney disease.
Most of these studies used dosages of 1,000mg of sodium bicarbonate 3 times a day.
Now, 1000mg is about 1 forth of a teaspoon and the baking soda can
be added to water or taken sublingually. Baking soda can really help - it's a truly
wonderful home remedy. There's just one problem:
while it costs basically nothing, you need to be tested both for sodium bicarbonate
levels and for serum potassium to know if you can benefit from it and in what dosages.
The sodium bicarbonate test is especially important because it will let your doctor
know how much baking soda you need exactly. You cannot just take it and hope for the better,
because it can, in some cases, compromise the delicate acid alkaline balance of the body.
Also, it will lower your serum potassium levels. And this is usually a good thing, since many
kidney disease patients too high serum potassium levels, but it's not true for everyone.
So, while baking soda is a wonderful remedy, is it really free?
Now you may argue that, while this supplement is cheap or almost free, the test to know if
you need to take it, is not free at all, at least in several countries of the world.
So, the question if there are free home remedies that can help is still open.
Let's see if our last entry can give us an answer.
Garlic Yes, just regular garlic, nothing
more. How much does garlic cost? I think we can say that it's as close as free as it gets, right?
Is garlic the answer to the important question of this video:
"is it possible to improve kidney health without having to pay?"
Well, c6onsuming garlic regularly has several key benefits for
people suffering from kidney disease. - It can lower blood sugar levels and improve
insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes. - it can lower blood pressure
- it can fight oxidative stress - it can fight inflammation
- it can even fight high cholesterol, in determinate conditions.
And it's clear in my opinion that the combined effect of these benefits can be dramatic in
slowing down the progression of CKD. Because you cannot repair kidney damage
without having your blood pressure and blood sugar levels under control.
And the effects of garlic are comparable to those of some of the most
commonly used anti hypertension drugs. In double blind studies with garlic,
the blood pressure of the participants dropped. Typically with reductions of 11 millimeters
of mercury for the systolic and 5 for the diastolic. This took,
with some participants, no more than a month. For comparison, the average anti-hypertension
drug will lower your blood pressure by 9 over 5 millimeters of mercury.
But drugs come with dangerous side effects, while the only problems garlic can cause
are the interactions with the drugs used to lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
But this should be expected, since garlic has the same effects, ok?
Still, talk to your doctor if you want to use garlic as a supplement.
Now, all these benefits are possible because
Garlic contains the powerful plant compound called allicin.
Allicin is activated by heat and oxygen, so to get the best from garlic you should eat it fresh.
The studies shown that at least 10mg of allicin a day are required to get these astounding results.
To get enough allicin, eat 1 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic a day.
I'm going to suggest you to start eating just one clove a day first. Then,
you may want to increase it gradually. Remember that to get these benefits,
you should eat raw, uncooked garlic. Now, unlike for baking soda, you may not need a
lot of testing to know if garlic can help you. This is because garlic helps you lowering blood
pressure and blood glucose levels. And, unlike for metabolic acidosis,
you can check both your blood pressure and blood glucose levels at home.
This is actually something all kidney disease patients should do regularly, in my opinion.
Also consider the possibility of starting a health journal.
Because the benefits of garlic are impressive, and if you can leverage them to lower your need
for medications the results will be really incredible.
To do this you should take your blood pressure and blood sugar levels every
single day and write down if the levels are decreasing when taking supplements.
This is the only way to see immediately what's working
and it will also give your doctor the info they need to lower your medications, if appropriate.
I've explained in this video how to start a health diary, it's very easy.
Ok, guys, I think that I may have answered my question with this last one, right?
So, let me know what you think about this topic and if you are using or you are
going to use any of these supplements. Let's talk about it in comment section!
And, by the way guys, a new video is coming next Tuesday so be sure
to subscribe and set the notification bell to all if you want to watch it.
In the meantime, keep taking good care of your kidneys and be good to yourself.
This is all for today, thank you for watching!