How to Lower Creatinine Levels & Improve Kidney Functions?

Our body is designed in such a way that it excretes out the waste material after the work of the nutrients has been completed. For example creatinine, it is a waste product of protein metabolism and creatine phosphate in muscles. It is excreted out on a constant rate by the body. The rate of the excretion of creatinine could be used as an indicator to know about the kidneys health. If the levels are high, it means our kidneys need our attention. In this topic, we are going to discuss the methods which could be used to lower the creatinine levels to improve the kidney functions.

Introduction

Higher levels of creatinine could be alarming as this is an indicator of the kidney health status. This is because kidneys are the excretory organs which helps to flush this out, but if the levels are high, it means that something is wrong with our kidneys. Creatinine levels are determined with the help of blood work. Normal serum creatinine levels are 0.6 to 1.4 mg/dL.

Symptoms

Following are the symptoms of high creatinine levels.

• Generalised weakness
• Passing less amount of urine
• Fluid retention in the body especially in the lower extremities
• Nauseatic sensation
• Breathlessness

Diseases / Conditions Which Could Cause High Creatinine Levels Are

• Infection in your urinary tract
• Gouty diathesis
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease
• Intense workout
• Less intake of fluids

Now that we have learnt about the high creatinine levels and diseases associated with it, we will discover the methods to lower down the high creatinine levels.

Low protein diet

As creatinine is a byproduct of the protein metabolism, consuming a high protein diet could lead to high amounts of creatinine in the bloodstream. Therefore, it is recommended to not consume a high protein diet, if you have high levels of creatinine. Food items which you might have to exclude from your diet in order to attain an optimum level of creatinine are dairy products, red meat and eggs etc.

Eat a fibre rich diet

Many researches have shown that regular use or intake of dietary fibre has a significant role in reducing the creatinine levels. This happens because the fibre helps in flushing out the toxins from the body. You could try the fibre rich foods like legumes, apples, papaya, radish, etc.

Drink plenty of water

It is advised to keep your body hydrated as doing its opposite might have a toll on your kidneys and could also increase your creatinine levels. Drinking plenty of water not only will protect your kidneys, but also will keep you fresh. It also regulates the blood pressure, as drinking less amounts of water causes secretion of renin which in turn causes high blood pressure.

Avoid intense exercise

People who are following an exercise regime which is intense are more prone to high creatinine levels because of high creatine in their muscles. This happens because creatine is stored in the muscles and the muscle mass of the athletes is comparatively higher than the normal human beings. Therefore for some weeks one should switch intense workout with light exercises like walking, yoga.

Lower the intake of common salt

We saw that one of the causes or diseases that could alter the creatinine levels is kidney disease. Therefore, consuming less amount of salt will keep the blood pressure low and safeguard the kidneys. Therefore, healthy kidneys would be able to filter out the creatinine levels.

Stop overuse of NSAIDs

The vasodilation response of the kidneys (renal prostaglandins) gets deviated because of the NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which in turn causes deterioration in the renal functions. This could result in high creatinine levels. Therefore it is suggested to avoid over use of NSAIDs.

Don’t take supplements which have creatine

Nowadays the trend of getting muscular is on the peak, and in order to attain such physique there is a competition going on in the masses to order every and any supplement which is available in the markets. Though the instructions are given on the pack, they are still ignored. This excess of intake of protein and creatine supplements results in higher levels of creatinine. One should consult a sports physician or a general physician before starting any supplement and regular blood work on a monthly basis should be done to check if all the parameters are in normal limits.

Limit use of diuretics

They help to reduce the swelling by flushing out the excess of fluids from the body. This is why diuretics are used in many health conditions, and people who are planning to lose weight also consume it. But prolonged use of diuretics could lead to renal diseases and high creatinine levels. Therefore one should talk to his doctor before taking it.

Quit smoking

Smoking leads to lung cancer, this is a well known fact but it could also lead to kidney disease and high creatinine levels is not known to everyone. It slows down the blood flow to the organs like kidneys and can damage it over time. This is the reason that smokers are also susceptible to having high creatinine levels.

Ancient Ayurvedic Herbs For High Creatinine Levels

There are many herbs mentioned in the ancient texts of Ayurveda which could be helping in reducing the higher creatinine levels. These herbs work by increasing the GFR (Glomerular filtration rate). There are some common ayurvedic herbs to help with this condition like Varun, Punarnava, Bhumi amla etc. These herbs help the kidney to revive because of their diuretic effects. They also help to remove the impurities from the blood and promote good circulation. Bhumi amla could be used for the purpose of removing stones in the kidney which is one of the commonest causes of high creatinine levels. Punarnava is another wonderful herb in the ayurveda which protects the kidney from damage of excess urea by eliminating it from the body. Like Bhumi amla, this also has stone breaking properties, therefore also useful in the cases of kidney stones. Mutrakrichantak Churna is also one of the best known kidney protectors in Ayurveda, as this reduces the inflammation in the kidneys. It lowers down the uric acid and high creatinine levels.

Conclusion

This is not an uncommon thing nowadays if someone meets you and tells you that he has high creatinine levels, because the lifestyles have been corrupted. But still it could be controlled well by making some modifications in our lifestyles and of course with the help of natural herbs mentioned in Ayurveda. One of the best natural and cheapest lifestyle tip for protecting our kidneys is plenty of water consumption which would help in flushing out the toxins from our body.