The kidneys are not as regenerative as the liver. Once kidney damage has occurred, in some cases it can no longer be completely repaired. We present holistic measures including kidney cleansing that help to keep your kidneys healthy and efficient.

Kidney cleansing is essential

A kidney cleanse can be an important preventive measure. Because the kidneys fulfill so many functions and tasks in the organism that declining kidney performance has a very negative effect on the well-being and quality of life.

Kidneys eliminate toxins

Together with the liver and the intestines, the kidneys are our most important detoxification and elimination organs. If they don’t work properly, toxins are first stored and then there is a gradual self-poisoning, which can manifest itself in a wide variety of symptoms.

Kidneys make blood

The kidneys are involved in blood formation because they produce the hormone erythropoietin, which stimulates the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow. Kidney weakness can therefore be associated with anemia, fatigue and a drop in performance.

Kidneys regulate the mineral balance and the acid-base balance

The kidneys also regulate the mineral balance and are an important authority when it comes to acid-base balance. If there are problems with the kidneys, there can also be shifts in the mineral balance and latent acidosis (chronic acidosis ).

Kidneys activate vitamin D

In the kidneys, the precursor of vitamin D is converted into active vitamin D. A kidney problem can thus lead to a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency, however, can contribute to the development of numerous diseases and disorders.

Kidneys ensure healthy bones

The kidneys are important for bone health. Because a disturbed mineral balance in combination with a vitamin D deficiency and perhaps hyperacidity can lead to decreasing bone density.

In the case of a mineral deficiency, the bone-relevant minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, silicon and boron are only available in insufficient quantities. If there is also a lack of vitamin D, the calcium supply deteriorates even further, since vitamin D enables calcium absorption in the intestine.

Kidneys regulate blood pressure

The kidneys are even involved in regulating blood pressure. Weakened kidneys therefore often lead to high blood pressure. In the case of high blood pressure, kidney values ​​are therefore often checked.

Kidney cleansing prevents kidney failure

In contrast to the liver and intestines, however, the kidneys, unfortunately, do not have great regeneration potential. Once organ damage and functional losses have occurred, they can therefore often no longer be completely repaired. This is also the reason why there are more than twice as many kidney transplants as liver transplants every year.

Regular kidney cleansing can very well prevent kidney weakness and thus protect you from serious illnesses – of course in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

There can be many causes of kidney problems. Below you will find a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing kidney disease in the course of life. It is interesting that most of the following points would not even occur with a healthy diet and lifestyle:

The causes of weak kidneys

The possible causes of diseased or weakened kidneys are the following:

1. Unhealthy diet
2. Drinking too little water
3. overweight/obesity
4. Chronic high blood pressure (it can weaken the kidneys or arise as a result of kidney weakness)
5. diabetes
6. High uric acid levels/gout: Kidney stones (uric acid stones) can be the result of chronically high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a metabolic product that is produced in the body when purines are broken down. Purines are particularly found in meat, fish, seafood and legumes. (However, it is known that the purines in plant foods are almost never a problem). If the uric acid concentration in the blood rises above a certain value, the uric acid crystallizes and uric acid crystals form. If these are deposited in the tissue and in the joints, gout occurs, but if they are deposited in the kidneys, they are kidney stones or uric acid stones. Both are often present at the same time: gout and uric acid stones, so that one should always keep an eye on the kidneys in the case of gout. The most longstanding precursor of gout, the increased uric acid levels in the blood (hyperuricemia) are now considered an independent risk factor for kidney disease, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.
7. Recurring kidney stones
8. Recurrent infections of the urinary tract and bladder
9. alcohol abuse/smoking
10. medication
11. nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, indomethacin, etc.)
12. Painkiller
13. antibiotics
14. chemotherapy drugs
15. contrast media

Weakened kidneys are usually not felt

Kidney disorders can be completely silent for a long time. You don’t feel the kidneys – and yet they can suffer and be sick. If the kidneys then report, the symptoms can be so unspecific that one does not even think of the kidneys.

Headaches, tiredness, back or abdominal pain can also be signs of completely different problems or are very often not taken seriously at all. Even at the doctor’s, it is not uncommon for borderline kidney values ​​to be overlooked, classified as unimportant or dismissed as age-appropriate. No wonder a kidney disease or kidney weakness is often recognized late.

By then, however, it is often TOO late. Because once blood appears in the urine or the pain in the lower back becomes obvious, then the kidneys are usually so infected that medication can no longer be avoided.

A kidney cleanse to prevent serious kidney disease is therefore a good idea and should be carried out at regular intervals, just like measures for the intestines or the liver. Then it is possible to protect the kidneys and thus the health of the body as a whole in the long term.

The goals of kidney cleansing

From a holistic point of view, kidney cleansing means a catalog of measures that has the following goals:

1. The kidneys are flushed, making it easier for the kidneys to fulfill their detoxification and drainage functions. Toxins, metabolic waste products and already stored semolina (tiny kidney stones) can thus be excreted more easily.
2. The kidneys are gently disinfected with natural herbal preparations to make it more difficult for harmful germs to settle.
3. Appropriate measures are initiated to – if possible – dissolve existing kidney stones.
4. In short, everything is done to relieve the kidneys and support their functionality and ability to regenerate.

The Kidney Cleanse

Holistic kidney cleansing consists of many different measures. First, we present the individual measures. Below you will find suggestions on how these can be combined:

1. Drinking water prevents kidney stone formation

One of the most important measures for a healthy kidney is first and foremost drinking enough water or diluted herbal tea. From the point of view of holistic medicine, all other drinks do not count as drinks, but as luxury foods. This also applies to most store-bought juices.

Studies have shown that just drinking enough water every day almost completely eliminates the risk of kidney stone formation. This is especially important for people who have had kidney stones before and want to prevent them from forming again and again.

Even before you go to bed, you should still drink a glass of water, even if it increases the risk of having to get up to urinate at night. Drinking water in the evening is extremely important for effective kidney stone prophylaxis, because otherwise – in people who tend to form stones – the first crystals can form overnight.

But be careful: If the kidney function is severely restricted (only 5 – 10 percent, such as in dialysis patients), the amount to drink must be agreed with the doctor treating you.

2. Water with lemon dissolves kidney stones

A shot of lemon juice (freshly squeezed) should be added to part of the daily drinking amount since the citrates in lemon juice can literally dissolve some kidney stones.

In particular, uric acid stones and stones containing calcium as well as cystine stones can be influenced very well by citrate-rich juices. In addition to lemon juice, diluted orange juice can also be used (but only freshly squeezed).

3. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol stimulates the body’s own production of uric acid in the liver and inhibits its excretion. As a result, alcohol increases the risk of uric acid stones forming in the kidneys. Beer is also rich in purines – and purines are broken down in the body into uric acid, which also causes uric acid levels to rise.

Since alcoholic beverages generally increase urine output and thus the risk of dehydration, which in turn promotes stone formation, alcohol is always a risk for the kidneys. In addition, the liver can only break down about 90 percent of the incoming alcohol. The rest got into the kidneys unchanged and can damage the sensitive kidney tissue there.

Teas made from kidney herbs, on the other hand, help the kidneys to stay healthy and alert.

4. Kidney Herbs

Various herbs have a very beneficial function on the kidneys. These include e.g. goldenrod, bearberry, nettle, dandelion, horsetail, juniper berries, birch leaves and oat tea.

For example, goldenrod has been used in Europe for centuries to treat and prevent bladder and urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Since the plant has diuretic, antioxidant and antibacterial properties, it is an ideal kidney plant.

Goldenrod is said to be particularly effective against yeast and coliform bacteria – both of which are often the cause of inflammation of the urinary tract, which then rises and can also affect the kidneys. Goldenrod is therefore a key ingredient in many traditional teas used for cystitis and also to flush out kidney stones.

Bearberry has also been used for a long time in herbal folk medicine as a reliable remedy in the treatment of kidney and urinary tract infections of all kinds. It contains the plant substance arbutin. In order for the arbutin to convert to the actual active ingredient (hydroquinone), the urine must be alkaline (pH 8 would be ideal). Otherwise, you might not see the effects.

Alkaline nutrition and (short-term) intake of sodium bicarbonate ( soda ) ensure the necessary high pH value.

Bearberry is also effective against E. coli and yeast, the two most common causes of urinary tract and kidney infections, but also against staphylococci and many other bacteria.

Bearberry leaves also help

1. reduce the accumulation of uric acid
2. to relieve the pain of bladder stones as they strengthen the urinary tract
3. soothe and tighten irritated and inflamed tissue
4. to prevent the adhesion of bacteria in the urinary tract and on the bladder mucosa

Bearberry is very rich in tannins. Therefore, if prepared incorrectly, it can lead to nausea. However, if you use it to make a cold macerate, it is very well tolerated.

A cold macerate is prepared as follows: 3 grams of the leaves are poured over 150 – 200 ml of cold water per cup in the evening and left to stand overnight. You drink three to four cups of it throughout the day. Do not use bearberry for more than 8 days and no more than three to four times a year.

The nettle is also a wonderful kidney plant. While the nettle root has a very good effect on prostate problems, the leaves of the plant are used, among other things, to alleviate and prevent bladder and kidney problems. Nettles are rich in plant sterols, lignans and antioxidant flavonoids

1. strengthen the bladder and kidney cell walls,
2. inhibit the formation of flammable substances,
3. increase urine volume to flush bacteria and toxins from the urinary tract; and
4. prevent kidney stones

Herb mixtures for the kidneys can also be used very well, e.g. the following kidney tea, which can also be drunk in case of kidney inflammation:

Kidney tea for nephritis and cystitis

A kidney tea should disinfect, relieve irritation, detoxify, flush and stimulate kidney function. An ideal application for a bladder infection. The following mixture satisfies all of these requirements.

1. 20 g birch leaves
2. 15 g chamomile flowers or nettle leaves
3. 25 g horsetail (horsetail)
4. 20 g orthosiphon leaves (also called cat’s beard or Indian kidney tea)
5. 20 g bearberry leaves

Preparation: It would be ideal to prepare the bearberry leaf tea separately as described above and then add it to the rest of the herbal tea.

Pour 150 ml of hot water over 2 to 3 grams of the herbal mixture (without bearberry leaves) and let the tea steep, covered, for 15 to 30 minutes, i.e. longer than other herbal teas. You also stir frequently during this time.

As a result, the active ingredients enter the water in higher concentrations and the tea works better. After the steeping time, add 40 – 50 ml of the cold macerate of the bearberry leaves per cup.

5. Chanca Piedra – The stone crusher for the kidneys

Chanca Piedra (Phyllanthus niruri) is Spanish for stone breaker. The small shrub grows worldwide in tropical regions from Brazil and Peru to India and is also an essential part of Ayurvedic therapies. In Ayurveda, the plant is called Bhumyamalaki.

According to some reports, Chanca Piedra can dissolve kidney and bladder stones within days. Dr. Wolfram Wiemann from Nuremberg treated over 100 kidney stone patients with Chanca Piedra in the late 1980s. In this way, 94 of the patients lost their stones within one to two weeks.

There are also scientific studies that certify that the herb has a clear anti-stone effect.

As early as 1999, scientists at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo in Brazil stated that an aqueous extract of Chanca Piedra could prevent the formation of calcium oxalate crystals, which is what most kidney stones are made of. However, according to the researchers, the herb does not show any harmful side effects.

Seven years later, the University of Bologna published a study that found that taking Chanca Piedra after shock wave lithotripsy (kidney stone crushing) resulted in patients staying stone-free for much longer than they did without Chanca Piedra.

In 2010, researchers from the Brazilian University of São Paulo again announced in a review (analysis of existing studies on the subject of Chanca Piedra) that the plant could prevent kidney stone formation, but also eliminate existing stones.

* Chanca Piedra is available as tea from our clinic.

6. Probiotics for the kidneys

Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate (70 percent of all kidney stones), a crystalline compound of oxalic acid and calcium. So it was believed for a long time that the oxalic acid in some foods and, of course, the inability of some people to completely break down or excrete oxalic acid were responsible for the formation of kidney stones.

But then it was found that those people with healthy intestinal flora harbor a certain intestinal bacterium (Oxalobacter formigenes) that can prevent the formation of oxalate stones from oxalic acid. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any probiotic with this bacterium yet.

However, one can assume that with a healthy diet and lifestyle and after a cleansing of the intestinal flora, the right bacteria will automatically settle – and so will the aforementioned Oxalobacter formigenes.

According to studies, people who frequently take antibiotics do not have this bacterium and therefore have a higher risk of calcium oxalate stones.

This shows that if there is a tendency to kidney stones, intestinal cleansing is more appropriate than the generally recommended avoidance of healthy foods containing oxalic acid, such as spinach, nuts, beetroot, green beans, berries (e.g. strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries), cocoa, etc.

And the development of a healthy intestinal flora is also part of intestinal cleansing. And this has many positive effects on kidney health:

7. Colon cleansing for the kidneys

If the intestines are overloaded and ailing, then unwanted substances get into the bloodstream (poisons, incompletely digested food, toxic excretions of bacteria, gases (which arise with flatulence) etc.). This puts a lot of strain on the liver.

After all, it is the first station for the blood from the intestines and now has to see to it that as many of the harmful substances as possible are removed from it. However, the more harmful substances come from the intestine, the lower the chance that the liver can neutralize them all and the higher the burden on the kidneys.

In addition, many substances are only made accessible to the kidneys in the liver, which means that the liver forwards some of the toxins to the kidneys anyway so that they can excrete them with the urine.

The heavier the load on the intestines, the heavier the load on the liver and the heavier the load on the kidneys. At the same time, this means that a clean and healthy intestine can relieve the kidneys and, of course, the liver enormously.

A healthy intestine is already a very good prerequisite for maintaining the health of the kidneys. Afterward, however, the liver should also be considered:

8. Liver cleanse for the kidneys

As explained under 7., the kidneys can only be as healthy as the intestines and liver allow them to be. After a colon cleanse, it would therefore make sense to also think about a liver cleanse or at least to integrate one or two liver cleansing measures into everyday life.

This could e.g. the intake of bitter substances, papaya seeds, capsaicin or curcumin. Special herbal capsules for liver regeneration or a high-dose milk thistle preparation are also a good idea.

You can find more information on how to perform the liver cleanse here: The holistic liver cleanse

9. Nutrition for the kidneys

Nutrition is, of course, the be-all and end-all in all efforts to maintain healthy organs. The success of any cleansing campaign stands or falls with it – regardless of whether it is a cleansing of the intestines, liver or kidneys. So there is a lot you can do with nutrition to prevent or correct kidney problems.

A healthy diet can lead to obesity being reduced – and obesity is considered a risk factor for chronic diseases of all kinds, including kidney diseases and kidney stones.

If you also know what type of kidney stones you have, you can influence your diet even more to dissolve the stones or at least to avoid recurrence (the formation of new stones).

In the case of uric acid stones, for example, a low-purine diet would be very good. We had purines above under “The causes of weak kidneys” and under “3. Alcohol” already mentioned. An alkaline diet is automatically low in purines.

Here, animal proteins are consumed only in moderation, if at all, and alcohol is almost entirely avoided.

The foods richest in purines include meat and fish (especially the skin), offal, sausage, beer (especially wheat beer) and soy products.

However, some foods that are actually considered healthy and do not harm a healthy person are also relatively high in purines. However, plant-based purine sources hardly cause any health problems and can therefore still be consumed – in moderation, of course.

These include, for example, legumes (including peanuts and soy products) and sunflower seeds.

In the case of calcium oxalate stones, temporarily reduce oxalic acid-rich foods (while building up the intestinal flora) and eat particularly magnesium-rich foods (and/or take a magnesium-rich food supplement (with at least 300 to 400 mg magnesium per day).

For why magnesium can help dissolve these kidney stones, see “13. Optimizing magnesium supply”.

With calcium phosphate stones, avoid the worst sources of phosphate, such as sausage, processed cheese, and chocolate. Here, too, care is taken to ensure proper magnesium supply.

It doesn’t matter which and whether you have stones at all, the accompanying nutrition should be a plant-based, natural and vital substance-rich diet made of regional and seasonal organic food. In addition, special foods that have a particularly positive effect on kidney health can be incorporated more frequently into the diet:

10. Special foods for the kidneys

Foods that have a very good effect on the kidneys include

1. Asparagus
2. Green smoothies with lots of green vegetables
3. Parsely
4. Whole grain rice
5. Celery juice
6. Onions
7. Cress

They all promote increased urine excretion, prevent stone formation and even help to flush out smaller stones.

Furthermore, if you eat at least 20 grams of pumpkin seeds twice a day, you not only prevent prostate problems (or improve them if they already exist), but also help the entire urinary tract – from the bladder to the kidneys.

11. Give up sugar

Sugar consumption increases the formation of all kinds of stones, which is why it is better not to use sugar for the sake of the kidneys.

Consumption of industrial sugar, especially industrial fructose (fruit sugar can cause kidney disease – according to researchers at Loyola University Chicago in 2013. In their review the scientists explain that sugar increases the level of uric acid in the blood, as well as obesity and diabetes promote

All three factors can affect kidney health sooner or later.

Soft drinks sweetened with sugar appear to be particularly dangerous in this regard. However, lemonades sweetened with sweeteners also have a negative effect on the kidneys. The kidneys, therefore, prefer pure water, unsweetened herbal teas and diluted vegetable juices.

12. Less salt

Less salt doesn’t mean no salt at all. The conventional diet, however, is often so rich in salt that the mineral balance gets pretty messed up and the kidneys are required to balance it out accordingly.

A healthy and natural diet, on the other hand, gets by with significantly less salt, not least because there are hardly any finished products that are generally very heavily salted. In addition, mild natural salts are used, e.g. herbal salts made from sea or rock salt.

13. Optimize magnesium supply

Magnesium can prevent the formation of calcium-containing kidney stones – because the correct calcium-magnesium ratio (2:1) can be restored with sufficient magnesium intake.

Magnesium now helps ensure that the calcium can be used as intended in the body and does not have to be excreted in large quantities through the urine. This reduces the risk of calcium deposits in the kidneys.

It would be ideal to cover the magnesium requirement through diet. But high-quality magnesium preparations can also be used – especially in the case of a severe magnesium deficiency. Only in the case of magnesium-rich kidney stones should you first discuss magnesium supplements with your doctor.

14. Warmth for the kidneys

Kidneys hate nothing more than cold. So keep them warm, especially during a kidney cleanse (e.g. with hot water bottles). Heat can activate kidney function, improve blood flow to the kidneys and thus ensure that the kidneys can regenerate more easily and stay healthy.

15. Deacidification of the kidneys

The kidneys are known to be the main regulators of the acid-base balance. If something is wrong with the kidneys, you have to think about eliminating possible hyperacidity.

Acidification in particular promotes the formation of uric acid and calcium oxalate stones. They form in urine with a strongly acidic pH (around pH 5) and dissolve again at a more basic pH (6.2 – 6.8).

Phosphate stones, on the other hand, are formed when the urine has a strong basic pH value. Here, too, there is a shift in the acid-base balance, namely intracellular hyperacidity, so that intracellular deacidification would be necessary here.

A healthy diet ensures healthy pH value fluctuations in the urine, so that there will never be permanently acidic pH values ​​and never permanently alkaline pH values.

However, until the diet takes effect, a deacidification program can work wonders. However, if you have serious kidney problems, you should only do this under the supervision of a competent therapist.

16. Vitamin D for the kidneys

As we saw above with the kidney tasks, the kidneys are also responsible for the activation of vitamin D. With a weakened kidney, this activation can often no longer take place completely and one should therefore always assume a vitamin D deficiency.

At the same time, we know that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for the development of kidney diseases. Therefore, it is not known who came first: the weakened kidneys that lead to vitamin D deficiency or the vitamin D deficiency that weakens the kidneys.

In any case, bones, dental health and of course general health are threatened, since vitamin D deficiency is linked to almost all diseases.

It is therefore worth considering supplementation with vitamin D – and always dose it individually according to your needs.  – Note: be careful about the amount of vitamin k2 you take as too much can lead to the thickening of blood and blood clots.

17. Homeopathy for the Kidneys

Homeopathy can also support the elimination of toxins from the kidneys and kidney flushing. In the case of inflammatory kidney problems, for example, Berberis D3 and Solidago D1 can both be used 3 to 10 times a day.

For kidney stones, Calculi renales D12 could be used once a day. It is said to help dissolve kidney stones.

Recurring kidney problems, kidney stones and colic also often respond to Lycopodium D12 (twice a day).

However, it is ideal to use homeopathic remedies on the recommendation of a knowledgeable homeopath.

18. Preventing kidney damage from drugs

As mentioned at the beginning, there are many drugs that can damage the kidneys and impair kidney function. Some chemotherapeutic agents in particular are extremely nephrotoxic.

This is where selenium can help. Taken in the form of sodium selenite (300 micrograms daily) before chemotherapy, selenium can significantly reduce the kidney-damaging effect of the medication. Conveniently, this measure can also protect the heart and even reduce mortality from cancer by 50 percent (from just 200 micrograms of selenium per day).

If an examination with so-called non-ionic contrast media is pending (e.g. in the case of computer tomography), then one can also take preventive action here in order to protect the kidneys from the harmful side effects of the contrast media.

NAC (N-acetylcysteine) can be taken here, 600 milligrams twice a day before and after the administration of the contrast medium. NAC provides the body with the building block (cysteine) for the body’s own antioxidant glutathione, which is then responsible for fighting off kidney damage.

19. Vitamin C as a risk factor for kidney stones

Vitamin C is always considered a risk factor for kidney stones, but in reality, it is very rare, at least not if you take vitamin C in a normal dose – i.e. according to personal needs – (100 – 1000 mg per day and in the case of illness 3000 mg per day or up to 4000 mg or as discussed with your naturopath).

A slightly increased risk of kidney stones from vitamin C could exist if you have a genetic predisposition to kidney stones and also take high doses of vitamin C in the long term. But here, too, other factors must be added to ensure that kidney stones actually develop, e.g. if you regularly drink too little (water!), suffer from a magnesium deficiency or eat an overall acid-forming diet, whereby we would again come to the typical measures that guarantee healthy kidneys, which are summarized below.

Kidney cleansing – An example

How can you combine all these measures or parts of them into a kidney cleanse? Below is an example that you can, of course, adapt to suit your personal goals, your health situation and the time you have available.

If you want to do all three cleanses – a colon cleanse, a liver cleanse and a kidney cleanse – please start with the colon cleanse, then move on to the liver cleanse and finish with the kidney cleanse.

1. If you are taking medication, talk to your doctor about whether you can discontinue some or – if there are side effects – replace them with more tolerable variants. Also ask whether your medication can be reconciled with the planned holistic measures. If you already suffer from kidney disease, also discuss all holistic measures with your doctor. It would be useful if it would be a holistically oriented doctor.
2. Then prepare one or two bottles each morning for the amount of water you want to drink throughout the day. Drink only water, unsweetened herbal teas, and occasionally diluted vegetable juices.
3. In addition, prepare a thermos with kidney tea.
4. If you do not want to carry out a comprehensive intestinal cleansing, you can integrate the development of the intestinal flora, i.e. the intake of a probiotic, into the kidney cleansing. Take the probiotic twice a day – before breakfast and at bed time.
5. Switch your diet to a plant-based diet with an excess alkaline and take into account all the aspects mentioned above, i.e. no alcohol, no sugar, less salt and integrate the special foods for the kidneys into your diet as often as possible.
6. Take a magnesium supplement. If you’re already taking Sea Coral, consider its magnesium content when calculating your magnesium needs. Magnesium citrate, magnesium orotate or chelated magnesium are good.
7. Check your vitamin D level and take an appropriate supplement if necessary.
8. If you have kidney stones, take a chanca piedra preparation or drink chanca piedra tea.
9. After two to three weeks of the above program, you can follow up on a de-acidification program, depending on how you feel. Stick to points 1 to 8.

We wish you and your kidneys all the best!

For all your Colon, Liver and Kidney cleansing needs – come and see us.