Surprising Things That Can Hurt Your Kidneys

Red Meat

Protein is essential to a healthy diet. But if your kidneys don’t work normally, high-protein diets -- especially those with lots of red meat -- can overtax them. Check with your doctor. You may need to eat small portions of different types of protein. Eggs, fish, beans, and nuts are all good sources.

Salt

In some people, too much salt can raise the amount of protein in your urine and speed up kidney decline. It also may lead to kidney stones, which can cause nausea, severe pain, and trouble peeing.

Smoking

Not only can it worsen high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes -- the two leading causes of kidney disease -- but it can interfere with medicines used to treat them. It also slows blood flow to the kidneys and can cause kidney problems in people who already have kidney disease.

Alcohol

Heavy drinkers -- men who have more than 14 drinks a week and women who have more than 7 -- double their risk of kidney disease. But a single binge session (more than 4 or 5 drinks in less than 2 hours) can sometimes cause “acute kidney injury.” That can lead to severe kidney damage, and you might need dialysis -- when a machine helps to do part of your kidneys’ work.

Sodas

If you have 2 or more diet sodas a day, you’re more likely to get kidney disease. In one study, diet soda-drinking women had 30% less kidney function after 20 years compared with other women. Sugar-sweetened drinks did not have the same effect.

Dehydration

Your kidneys need water to work properly. Not getting enough -- especially if that happens often -- can cause kidney damage. And there’s evidence that drinking water can lower your chances of kidney disease.

Pain Medication

Taken regularly, large amounts of over-the-counter pain medications -- acetaminophen, aspirin, and ibuprofen -- can damage your kidneys. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to tough it out. Talk to your doctor about what you’re taking and how much to see if you might need another option.

Illegal Drugs

The use of cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine (not a good idea for a host of reasons) can cause kidney damage in different ways. Some of these drugs can lead to high blood pressure, as well -- one of the leading causes of kidney disease.

source:WEBMD

Diets You Should Never Try

Twinkie Diet

For 10 weeks in 2010, a Kansas State University nutrition professor cut down on his daily calories and ate mostly Twinkies, powdered doughnuts, and other junk foods. He lost 27 pounds. This may sound crazy, but he showed the basic rule of weight loss: Burn more calories than you eat, no matter what that might be. Bad news for junk food junkies, though: The lack of nutrition in this diet makes it a lousy idea for your overall health.

Ear Stapling

Put down the office supplies. This is dangerous, and it doesn’t work. The idea is a lot like acupuncture: A surgical staple is placed in the bowl of your ear. Some people say it decreases their appetite and helps them lose weight. But there’s no science to back that up. And it can lead to infection and may even change the shape of your ear.

Cotton Ball Diet

Yes, some people have actually tried this: Dip a few cotton balls in your favorite juice and swallow them. The idea is that they’ll fill your stomach so you eat less and lose weight. What could possibly go wrong? Choking, intestinal blockages, and eating harmful chemicals, to name a few. Seriously, don’t do this.

HCG Diet

This combines severe calorie cuts with a drug mainly used to help women get pregnant: human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Studies show it doesn’t help you lose weight, and it can have side effects. It might make you feel super tired, grumpy, restless, or depressed. It could also lead to fluid buildup in your body and even blood clots. Need more reasons to skip this? Doctors say drastic calorie cuts can be bad for you, too.

Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

Some people say they sip a bit before meals to curb their appetite and burn fat, but there’s little proof it works. It’s mostly harmless, but it could stop insulin and some blood pressure meds from working like they should. Plus, all that acid can be bad for your throat.

Cigarette Diet

In the 1920s, Lucky Strike Cigarette Company told Americans to “reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet.” And, boy, did they. Cigarette sales zoomed, and the idea that smoking prevents snacking is with us to this day. Whether that’s true is unclear. What is clear is that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S

Tapeworm Diet

How did a health hazard become a diet fad? Yes, there are people who swallow a tapeworm -- on purpose -- to lose weight. An adult worm can live up to 30 years in your body. It stays alive by stealing nutrients from your food. Its eggs can cause cysts and infections. Just no.

Caffeine Diet

Guzzling gallons of coffee may curb your appetite and help you burn a few more calories, but not enough to make you lose much weight. Plus, too much caffeine can boost your blood pressure, make you sick to your stomach, and keep you up all night. The result: Those extra pounds come right back. And some caffeinated beverages, like soft drinks and special coffees, are high in calories, fat, or both.

Kick the Soda Can

A 12-ounce cola has about 150 calories and 10 teaspoons of sugar. That’s 4 teaspoons more than most women should have in an entire day and 1 more than most men should. Too much sugar in your diet is bad for your teeth, can make you gain weight, and isn’t good for your heart. That may be because it can raise your blood pressure and put harmful fats in your bloodstream.

Don’t Pop That Top

Water

When you’re thirsty, reach for a glass of water -- your body will thank you for it. This naturally sugar-free option is good for you in many ways. Staying hydrated helps keep your body the right temperature, gets rid of waste, and even helps your joints move

Homemade Lemonade

If water by itself isn’t your thing, spruce it up with some lemon and a little sugar. That sweet-and-sour combo can sneak it -- and its health benefits -- right past your taste buds.

Coffee

Part of your soda craving could have something to do with the caffeine in soft drinks. Try a cup of coffee instead. Even with a teaspoon of sugar, about 15 calories, it's better for you than a typical soda.

Tea

Replace that soda with a cup of tea, especially the green variety. It may be linked to a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. But be careful not to add too much sugar, or you’ll tilt the scale back the wrong way.

Spritzer

A little juice in some sparkling water is kind of like a soda and may be a way to scratch that soft-drink itch without the empty calories. But juice has as at least as many calories per ounce as most soft drinks, so a little splash is all you want.

Red Wine

Instead of a mixed drink with soda at the bar, go for a glass of red wine. It has fewer calories and may help protect the blood vessels in your heart, plus prevent blood clots. But don’t overdo it, and don’t start drinking alcohol if you don’t already. It can have harmful effects as well.

New Ritual

Old habits die hard, particularly when it comes to sugar. If you enjoy a soda every day at 3 p.m., it may be tough to kick it unless you replace it with something else you enjoy, say a cup of coffee or a square of dark chocolate.

Diet Soda

Don’t think of this as a good substitute. Research shows that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can throw off your metabolism, make you gain weight, and increase your risk for diabetes and heart disease. And a study of more than 3,000 women (mostly white) showed that two or more diet drinks a day can be hard on your kidneys.

source:WEBMD