Dedicated to women's health and well-being

HerArticle

Sponsored By

How Do Kidneys Like High Protein Diets?

February 3, 2010 - 9:46am 477 reads 0 comments

A high protein diet, as the name implies, puts a strong emphasis on protein, while decreasing the amount of carbohydrates being consumed.

Protein is an essential building block for the body's health, growth and maintenance. It satisfies hunger longer than carbohydrates, so a person on a high protein diet can lose weight without having to go hungry. And protein keeps blood sugar stabilized for longer periods than carbohydrates will.

A high protein diet is not a no-carb diet. But its carbohydrates are restricted to fruits and vegetables, which contribute nutrients the body needs.

A high protein diet will not damage healthy kidneys. A pair of kidneys in fine working order will continue to excel at filtering waste products from the blood, including excess protein.

Click here to comment on this article.

Drinking plenty of water every day will help the kidneys to continue to remove toxins from the body.

The kidneys can be damaged by a variety of conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. But if dietary changes are made soon enough, all of these conditions can be improved, thus protecting the healthy renal (kidney) function.

Kidneys can be put under undue stress by too much body weight. A high protein diet with its lesser amount of carbohydrates can help people shed the extra pounds, which also benefits the kidneys.

Nephropathy is a complication of diabetes which can result in renal failure. When blood sugar (glucose) is too high for too long, it can eventually damage blood vessels and nephrons (filters in the kidney).

But if the blood sugar can be lowered, diabetes can be controlled. Blood sugar is decreased by cutting down on carbohydrates, not protein. Weight loss will often follow as an added perk.

Confusion and misplaced concern may arise over the unhealthy presence of protein in the urine of Type 2 diabetics. But this clinical protein is not the same as dietary protein, that is to say, it is different from the protein that we eat.

Recent research indicates that cutting carbohydrates can help lower blood pressure as well.

Add A New Comment

We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Start Asking & Sharing

Add A New CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first to get the conversation started.

Log in

Are you a member? Log in first to track your posts

Not a member? Join us. Membership is not required to post.

More information about formatting options

We never share email addresses with third parties. Your email address will be used to notify you of activity on your post and send you our newsletter if you choose to sign up for it.
Verify that you are a human (not a computer):
This is necessary to prevent computer programs from automatically posting spam or other irrelevant content on EmpowHER.com. Enter the characters in the box to the left (case sensitive). Do not enter spaces between the characters.
Image CAPTCHA

Free Weekly Newsletter

Sign up for EmpowHER's weekly newsletter

Featured Provider Discover more about the nation's top provider.

Banner Health

Banner Health

From Alaska to Arizona, Banner Health’s dedicated medical professionals are fulfilling our mission of providing excellent patient care to thousands of people in need through hospital care, home car

Health News Read up-to-the-minute medical news & stories.

Cholesterol Drugs May Help Prevent Flu Deaths

THURSDAY, Oct. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Statins, frequently used to cut cholesterol levels, may also help prevent death from severe flu, a new study suggests. According to the researchers, a ...
Read more