Feature: Kidney’s wellness lies in one’s diet, fluid intake

By April Montes

Saturday 16th of June 2012

The country celebrates National Kidney Month this June.

With the theme, “Ikaw at Ako, Panalo sa Malusog na Bato,” the celebration stresses to every Juan Dela Cruz the importance of these bean-shaped organs and a reminder to maintain its proper function to attain an overall health and wellness.

Kidneys are vital organs in the human body. They serve as natural filters of the blood and remove body wastes which are excreted through urine. When they don’t function properly, they may begin to break down, leaving the body vulnerable to numerous illnesses or diseases which can become potentially serious.

Since, it doesn't have the capacity to re-generate, the only recourse when it starts to deteriorate is to undergo an operation or dialysis. And sad to say, both options are beyond reach for majority of Filipinos.

The National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) even ranked Region I as fourth in the country with the most number of patients with chronic kidney failure. Dr. Abraham Coquia, spokesperson of NKTI in the region, bared this alarming fact in a forum at the Philippine Information Agency in Pangasinan on Thursday.

To avoid this, Dr. Coquia suggested starting to rework one’s diet and limit the consumption of some food which makes the urine too acidic, leading to the formation of uric acid crystals that are deposited in the kidneys as kidney stones.

These food include legumes, animal proteins, carbonated drinks, instant coffee, tea, peanuts, beer, and salty food.

Reducing the quantity of intake of these food will not kill you but it rather saves you and your kidney from diseases.

He also recommended increasing fluid intake. Drinking an ample amount of water each day is good to sustain the body. Men are advised to take three liters of water a day while women need 2.5 liters, he said.

More glasses of water are needed after a heavy exercise or physical activity as the body sweats more and causes dehydration, a condition that can cause kidney damage and other serious health complications.

As they say, prevention is always better than cure. So why wait to have kidney failure if you can do something to prevent it? Act now! Save your kidney, save your life. (ANL/AMM-PIA 1 Pangasinan)