Nearly 1 in 3 Americans are at-risk of kidney disease. American Indian and Alaska Native people are especially at risk.
Take a breath. The air you’re breathing probably traveled through a filter.
Drink some water. The water you’re drinking likely went through a filter.
Go for a drive. Several filters in your car are cleaning out debris in the oil, gas, and air.
Go to the bathroom. Your kidneys are what’s filtering out wastes and toxins.
Kidneys act as the primary filter for your body. Most people have two kidneys. Yes, you could live without both kidneys. But you don’t want to. It’s not ideal. It would require kidney dialysis three times a week. Dialysis is about a four-hour process that cleans your blood.
You need your kidneys. Here are some reasons why:
- Kidneys balance your blood. Kidneys not only get rid of waste and toxins from your blood. They also return vitamins, amino acids, glucose, and other vital substances into the bloodstream.
- Kidneys remove drugs from your body. If you’re taking medication, kidneys prevent your body from being poisoned by the medicine. Medication dosing takes into account kidneys filtering out some of the medicine.
- Kidneys regulate your blood pressure. Your kidneys release a hormone called renin to keep your blood pressure normal.
- Kidneys increase red blood cells. Red blood cells transfer oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
- Kidneys produce vitamin D. This vitamin leads to stronger, healthier bones in your body.
- Kidneys balance your body’s fluids. If you don’t drink enough water, your kidneys help you by excreting a more concentrated urine.
Learn more about kidney health by visiting the National Kidney Foundation website.
