Those amazing little kidneys

Years ago I was a dialysis nurse and I could not believe what I learned about these little organs in your body and how they actually work.  First let’s note that these are bean-shaped and about the size of a fist.  The kidneys are located near the middle of the back, on each side of the spine.  Kidneys, if healthy, are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; they are like a built-in water treatment plant!  Their main job is to filter the blood – to maintain a balance of water and chemicals.  Every day these amazing little organs filter out about 2 quarts of wastes and fluid in the form of urine.   Unfortunately, many persons suffer with kidney disease so it is so important to try to maintain a healthy diet to prevent any damage to the kidneys.  According to many researchers, there are 15 “super foods” for your kidneys.  Be sure to pick these foods up and add them to your diet for keeping these organs healthy:   Apples Cranberries Blueberries Strawberries Raspberries Red grapes Cherries Olive oil Fish Egg whites Onions Garlic Red bell peppers Cabbage Cauliflower   I personally have added cranberry juice to my diet to prevent urinary tract infections (UTI).  This helps by making urine more acidic which helps keep bacteria from attaching to the inside of the bladder.  Many of the other foods listed are low in potassium, high in fiber and contain antioxidants.   As nurses, we are most interested in why the kidneys might fail.  The two most ...
Source: Nursing Comments - Category: Nurses Authors: Tags: Advice/Education General Public Home/Articles Nursing/Nursing Students Patients/Specific Diseases acute blood loss AKI ARF chronic kidney disease diabetes dialysis end-stage renal disease high blood pressure Kidneys poison Source Type: blogs