5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Kidneys

 5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Kidneys

5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Kidneys

Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that you never even notice until something goes wrong with them

They’re so important, however, that people usually say losing your kidneys instead of losing your life.

 In order to prevent losing both of these vital organs, let’s take a closer look at some interesting facts about the kidneys that you may not have known yet.

1) The kidneys help maintain a steady supply of nutrients and oxygen to your body

As part of your circulatory system, your kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from your blood.

 Each day, you produce about two quarts of urine made up of protein, urea, minerals and other substances filtered out by your kidneys. 

If too much waste builds up in your blood, you may experience nausea and shortness of breath.

If left untreated, high levels of waste can lead to coma or death. In addition to removing excess nutrients and oxygen from your body, your kidneys also help maintain a steady supply of nutrients and oxygen to your body.

They do so by regulating water balance—making sure that there is enough water in your body to allow cells to function properly but not so much that it causes bloating or swelling.

When you drink more than normal or exercise vigorously without replenishing lost fluids, they help make sure that sodium levels don’t get too high or low which can cause health problems like heart failure or seizures.

While most people think of their kidneys as only being involved with filtration, they actually play an important role in blood pressure regulation as well.

The hormone renin, which is produced by your kidneys when fluid levels rise in your body, triggers production of angiotensin 

This hormone constricts (narrows) blood vessels and increases pressure on arteries throughout your body. 

When renin levels rise because fluid has built up in your system due to dehydration or overhydration (e.g., drinking too much water), it helps ensure that pressure remains consistent throughout all parts of your circulatory system so that you don’t suffer a stroke or heart.

 Your kidneys also produce erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production. 

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, so having plenty of them ensures that you have sufficient amounts of oxygen even if you become dehydrated or overexert yourself during exercise. Excessive loss of red blood cells can result in anemia, a condition marked by extreme fatigue and difficulty breathing.

To avoid experiencing these symptoms, it’s best to consume iron-rich foods such as lean meats, dark leafy greens and beans.

2) They play an important role in blood pressure regulation

3) The kidneys filter over 120 gallons of blood each day to remove waste products, water, and excess minerals.

The kidneys are located behind and below your ribs, on each side of your spine.

Inside each kidney is a filtering system called a nephron, where blood is filtered. A healthy adult's kidneys filter over 120 gallons of blood each day to remove waste products, water, and excess minerals.

This fluid goes back into your body in urine form. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, your kidneys may not be able to keep up with all that extra work. 

Without proper treatment, both conditions can lead to kidney failure. In fact, more than 20 million Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to CDC data from 2014-2015. 

That’s about one in nine people—and about two percent of all are due to CKD every year.

 If you think you might be at risk for CKD or already have it, talk with your doctor right away so they can help you manage it and prevent further damage.

4) If you don’t drink enough water, they can get dehydrated

5) Your kidneys have no capacity for regeneration; damage leads to kidney failure

The kidneys are a crucial part of your body’s filtration system. Every minute, about 200 quarts of blood flow through your kidneys as they cleanse impurities from your bloodstream. Unfortunately, there is no ability for kidney regeneration once damage has occurred.

 If you suffer from kidney disease, it can lead to serious health complications such as hypertension or heart disease. Luckily, there are ways to prevent and treat kidney failure so that you can live a healthy life. For example, you should avoid consuming large amounts of protein in order to prevent extra strain on your kidneys. 

In addition, you should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables because they have natural anti-inflammatory properties that help protect against inflammation in vital organs like your kidneys. 

And if you do experience pain in one or both sides of your back along with other symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue after eating a large meal with lots of protein (like meat), then it could be due to food poisoning—so contact your doctor immediately! To learn more about how you can maintain good kidney health throughout life, read on! Here are five things you didn’t know about your kidneys

1. Even though people think of them as filtering waste products out of their bodies, kidneys actually also help filter nutrients into our bodies too.

2. One reason why a person may develop kidney stones is when his or her urine contains too much calcium oxalate which causes crystal formation in between tubes inside of the kidneys.

3. Even though everyone knows that diabetes can affect your eyesight, many people don’t realize that having diabetes puts stress on all parts of your body including your kidneys and increases risk for early kidney failure by almost 80 percent