No. 43

Kidneys & High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure may be caused due to the kidneys or it can be from plaque in the veins and arteries, or it can be both.  Here the information is directly addressing the kidneys. People who have plaque build-up will generally be prescribed statin drugs by their doctor. They may also have prescriptions also for high blood pressure and blood thinning drugs. However, people can also have high blood pressure who do not have high cholesterol or plaque build-up.  Many people are unaware that many things can cause damage to the kidneys which results in high blood pressure.  Common reasons may include;

1. History of drinking soda
2. History of using various prescription drugs that have a side effect of kidney damage and high blood pressure
3. History of drug addiction or heavy alcohol consumption, resulting in kidney damage
4. History of drinking hard water high in inorganically compounded minerals
5. Individuals who are producing too much uric acid, may also have gout or kidney stones
6. History of poor diet
7. History of chronic dehydration

Kidney disease has doubled in the last 20 years.  It is estimated that of the 39 million people in America that have kidney disease, 35 million don’t know they have it.  Once the kidneys have been damaged, it is imperative that steps are taken in both diet and nutrients specific to the kidneys be taken. Following is a list of foods and supplements that be helpful to improving kidney health and lowering blood pressure.

When you exit a doctor’s office with medication to lower your blood pressure, consider this medication an opportunity to correct your health. A high blood pressure drug should be a tool in the toolbox, in order to protect you from a heart attack or stroke while you work to restore your health. Using medication can buy you time to see what you can do to correct the problem. This will likely not be a quick process having taken years to advance. Wait too long and you may not have the health to do it, when more damage is done. It is equally important to question your doctor about your blood pressure and what is the source– kidneys, plaque build-up in the veins and arteries, or both. This material within this post is for the kidneys and damage specific to this organ, and not geared towards plaque.

Chemicals, food additives, pharmaceutical drugs, soda, street drugs, heavy metals such as cadmium, pesticides, and pollution, all have to be removed from your body. Your kidneys work hard to help you expel these and prevent disease. Many things we consider food, our body sees as pollution, take soda for example.

Other threats to developing kidney disease includes unchecked high blood pressure, sugar intake, and elevated blood sugar, taking many medications including NSAIDs like ibuprofen, and certain weight loss or weight lifting programs which include a high protein diet. Persons who consume a low-carb diet can often develop kidney problems if they concentrate on too much protein. Again, balance, balance, balance-  all healthy foods should be in the diet, but without proportions that are beneficial. For example;  apples are excellent for your health, but if you ate only apples, day in and day out, you would become ill. The apple would not be to blame of course, but the amount of apples eaten and the lack of other foods missing from the diet.

Acidic Internal Environment

The American diet produces an internal acidic environment.  When the body is acidic, the kidneys urgently work to restore alkalinity by extracting alkaline minerals from tissues and bone.  The result is a more alkaline internal body, but the formation of kidney stones and gravel because of the extracted levels of calcium result, which then also in turn leads to osteoporosis and bone loss.  As we age this condition worsens and progresses as damage to the kidneys expands–  whether you know it is happening or not… yet.

What Causes the Body to Become Acidic

So what causes the body to become too acid?  Here is good reference list to avoid-

• Grains- especially processed types.  Grains are a start that converts to sugar. This includes breads, pastries, pastas, chips, especially wheat, rice, rye, corn.
• Sugar
• Rancid fats (sunflower, corn, soy, canola, safflower-  polyunsaturated fats)
• Junk Food
• Too much meat
• Luncheon meat
• Fish –  trout, haddock, cod, herring
• Soda
• Cooked fruit juice- this includes all commercially sold pasteurized juice (which is cooked).  Fresh fruit juice such as at a juice bar or made at home with a juicer is good for you and not to be confused with pasteurized or oxidized fruit beverages.
• Nuts and Legumes-  these should be eaten in portion size appropriate to fulfill a daily serving.  When eaten in excess, then they create an acidic environment.
• Dairy

As you can see, it is obvious that many food contribute to acidity. Following a balanced diet which includes legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish, dairy and meat are all healthful. The key has been a lack of balance.  More raw fruit, vegetables, sprouts, raw juices, and good fats will reduce acidity.

Baking Soda

Back at the end of 2010, Dr. Oz had a television program on using baking soda to help prevent kidney disease, kidney dialysis, and kidney failure.  He also recommended drinking hibiscus tea which was found to reduce these acids and reduce blood pressure in these studies.  Hibiscus tea is not a cure-all and if you have low blood pressure, drinking hibiscus tea for this reason should not be consumed. Hibiscus Flower Tea is so effective that is not recommended to be consumed at the same time as a medication but allow at least 2 hours away from taking a prescription.  Drinking 3 cups of hibiscus tea per day has been found to reduce blood pressure by as much as 13-15%.

University Studies

The University of California, Davis, has conducted studies on the benefits of olives, celery, and hibiscus tea.  Celery and celery seed reduce uric acids which in turn helps to reduce stone formation and gout.  Hibiscus tea is a tart tasting red flower that reduces high blood pressure, so effective that it should not be consumed by any person with low blood pressure or hypotension.  Olives and olive oil support the heart and cardiovascular system with omega 9 fatty acid.

UC Davis and UCLA have conducted a study on soda and found it was even more detrimental to women than men.  Women who drank 2 or more cans of soda (regular or diet) per day nearly doubled their risk of developing kidney disease.  Soda on an occasion is fine.  Daily consumption is excessive.  If you drink 2-3 cans of soda every day for example, can you imagine replacing the soda with, let’s just say, french fries.  Change how you think about food and it helps keep things in perspective.

The University of Chicago Medical Center, tested animals by injecting them with a small amount of 3-n-butyl phthalide, a chemical compound that is found in celery.  In this study, Quang Le and William Elliot, Ph.D., isolated this compound and injected it into rats.  The amount used was equivalent to human consumption of 4 ribs of celery per day.  The rate of blood pressure in the study rats dropped by 13% per week, cholesterol levels by 7%.  The fiber also contributed to the experiment.

The chemical isolated in the study that reduced blood pressure is phthalide which is known to relax muscles and arteries that regulate blood pressure by reducing the volume of stress hormones called catecholamines.  Phthaltes are chemicals leached from plastic and NOT to be confused with Phthalide.

The average method used by naturopaths to duplicate this study to humans with high blood pressure is to eat 4 stalks of celery every day for 1 week and stop for 2 or 3 weeks and repeat.  A general progression of blood pressure decline is most often the end result.  If you are juicing celery instead of eating celery, take psyllium husk capsules to include the fiber, 2-3 capsules should be a reasonable amount or 2 capsules per meal eaten.  Drinking plenty of water is needed when taking psyllium and to support the kidneys.  When taking psyllium without food, take 1-2 pills with a full glass of water, follow with 8 oz. of water hourly for 2 hours following.

Celery contains about 35mg. of sodium per rib, or stalk.  If you are extremely salt sensitive, you may not be able to use this method, even for as little as a week.  This method may be especially helpful for those with early diagnosed high blood pressure rather than extreme cases.  All people do however need salt in their diet in some amount.  Any salt in the diet should be Celtic Grey Sea Salt or Himalayan salt.

A Word About Celery

Be aware, celery is one of the 2012’s and 2013’s dirtiest foods for pesticide residue, often as many as 60 chemicals.  One primary compound used on non-organic, commercially grown celery is psoralen.  This is an anti-fungal chemical which is especially harmful to those with hypertension.  So if using celery for health purposes such as in this material, be sure to use only organic, or these chemicals on the celery must be filtered by your kidneys which would add burden and not the benefits you are hoping for.  You can also juice celery and limit the amount you use to 1-2 stalks per day as a more gradual introduction.

A Word About Salt

Everyone needs salt.  However authorities all agree that too much sodium chloride found in regular table salt, is detrimental to those with kidney disease.  However, natural salt like Celtic Grey sea Salt or Himalayan salt as mentioned, is rich in minerals and lower in sodium chloride.  Regular table salt is nothing but sodium chloride.  Changing your salt shaker to mineral rich salts is also recommended for anyone with high blood pressure.  So change your salt to natural salt, non-irradiated, solar evaporated—which is a healthier salt choice. Irradiated salts cause the minerals to become unavailable in the same level that non-irradiated salts do. If your salt doesn’t say NON-IRRADIATED it is RADIATED. This is a commercial practice used for killing bacteria in mass production. It really makes little sense, because salt is naturally preserving and anti-bacterial by nature. Non-Irradiated natural sea salt or hand mined salt like Himalayan salt is your best salt option.

Liquids

Unless you are liquid restricted by your doctor due to medical reasons, 1/2 gallon of fluid per day is a standard recommendation.  The ideal amount of fluid may also be figured using this formula-

Your Weight   divided by 2 = the number of ounces per day needed to cleanse your system

• Distilled water for at least 1 year or until problem is resolved
• Herb Teas, especially those particular to kidney health
  • uva ursi
  • juniper berry
  • parsley
  • cranberry
  • chanca piedra
• Herb Teas, if you have kidney stones or gravel, specific to eroding and softening the stones
  • stone root
  • gravel root
  • hydrangea root
  • chanca piedra
• Green or White Tea- prepared with distilled water

Nutrients That Help

1. *Milk Thistle Seed
2. Organic Sulfur
3. Lipoic Acid
4. Resveratrol
5. CoQ10
6. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (fish oil)
7. Vitamin C
8. Vitamin E
9. Folic Acid
10. Dandelion
11. Salvia
12. Nettles
13. Marshmallow Root
14. Celery Leaf, Celery Juice
15. Horsetail
16. Wolfberry (lychii)

*Milk thistle has long been known as an amazing herb for the liver, but silymarin, which if found in milk thistle seed, has also been scientifically proven to reduce damage caused by drugs and injury from free radicals to the kidneys.  Silymarin can prevent injury and damage to kidney cells where elevated glucose is involved and blocks oxidative stress markers.  Foods rich in silymarin help to prevent the chronic oxidative damage caused form cadmium, heavy metals, auto exhaust, and other environmental  toxins.  Antioxidant supplements such as Vitamin E & C are also beneficial to prevent free radical damage.

**Also consider essential oils- these can be very effective when used in certain ways. Frankincense is one of the best, especially Sacred Frankincense.  Essential Oils that may benefit the kidneys include–

• frankincense
• sacred frankincense
• oregano oil
• lavender
• Idaho balsam fir

No. 1 Foods high in silymarin—

1. Milk Thistle
2. Turmeric
3. Artichoke

Foods that have some silymarin—

1. Dark-Skinned Grapes
2. Beet Greens
3. Black Cohosh
4. Peanuts
5. Brewer’s Yeast
6. Most berries

No. 1 Foods For Healthy Kidneys

1. Artichokes
2. Cranberries
3. Blueberries
4. Raspberries
5. Strawberries
6. Cherries
7. Celery, celery seed tea
8. Red bell peppers
9. Cabbage
10. Cauliflower
11. Garlic
12. Onion
13. Apples
14. Red Grapes
15. Ginger Root
16. Egg Whites
17. Fish, especially wild
18. Olive Oil

*All Reds-  using powdered ALL REDS mix without sugar, is best for the kidneys. We have also combined a powdered mix of only red foods which can be supplemented daily to support the kidneys. 1 oz. of All Reds is equivalent to approximately 2.5 pounds of fresh food.

Healing Herbs For The Kidneys

1. Garlic
2. Artichoke
3. Milk Thistle
4. Turmeric
5. Aloe Vera
6. Ginger Root
7. Hibiscus Flowers
8. Siberian Ginseng
9. Dandelion Root
10. Marshmallow Root
11. Nettles
12. Parsley
13. Horsetail
14. Chanca Piedra
15. Stone Root
16. Gravel Root
17. Hydrangea Root
18. Cranberry
19. Uva Ursi
20. Juniper Berry

Amino Acids For The Kidneys

1. Methionine
2. Glutathione

Juicing For The Kidneys

Juice—  ¼ head of a small cabbage, 2 ribs of celery, knob of ginger root, ½ organic apple- preferably green, 1 clove garlic, handful of flat leaf parsley, watermelon rinds if you have them

When eating watermelon, eat the seeds or make tea out of them.  Also save the rinds and juice them, both are excellent for the kidneys.