Any ways to reverse or help declining kidney function?

[puginabug]

Not sure about the supplements. My husband has a bit of kidney damage from chemo. His nephrologist told him to avoid processed meats, and to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink a lot of water.

Processed meats being ground meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, etc. I was surprised that ground meat was considered processed food, but apparently it is, at least for his kidney doc.

Processed meats will travel thru your gi system quicker, thus making your kidneys work harder.

[mojo101]

Watercress cleanse your kidneys,you can buy them in most supermarkets in Chinatown,Welcome in Welcome Plaza and H Mart in Sterling Plaza,99 cents a bunch.

[Deserterer]

But you agree, of course, that anyone with kidney disease should consult their doctor before taking any of these purportedly helpful supplements, right?

Originally Posted by Rom623

Many supplements will help

"A randomized, controlled, double-blind study in 60 patients with diabetic kidney disease showed that compared to placebo, daily therapy with 420 mg silymarin resulted in a significant decrease in albuminuria and reduction in urinary levels of TNF-a and MDA"

Even from the article, you will see in their conclusion section they arent sticking their neck out too far. Not without a very large clinical trial which will probably never happen, but at least they provide you with the data so far.


Cost does of course become an issue. P5P would be tops for me, very inexpensive. Fish oil(part of general health anyway), Milk Thistle(silymarin), and glutathione would be next imo.

[Rom623]

Originally Posted by Deserterer

But you agree, of course, that anyone with kidney disease should consult their doctor before taking any of these purportedly helpful supplements, right?

In general, its a good idea, in case she is on other medications. Its worth checking for contraindications like the ones at the bottom of this page.

However I would be shocked if he even recommended P5P, which one would think is a minimum.

What I would like to see is doctors say, "There are studies like this indicating these nutrients might be helpful." And then let the patient decide, instead of just leaving us in the dark.


Much like this Covid situation, 3 separate sources in different locations were all told the same thing. Go home and come back if symptoms worsen. Nothing about laying off sugar, taking a multivitamin, extra C, NAC, quercetin, melatonin, or Ivermectin. Some places like East Virginia Medical are on top of it, but they are few and far between.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by puginabug

Not sure about the supplements. My husband has a bit of kidney damage from chemo. His nephrologist told him to avoid processed meats, and to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Drink a lot of water.

Processed meats being ground meats, cold cuts, hot dogs, etc. I was surprised that ground meat was considered processed food, but apparently it is, at least for his kidney doc.

Processed meats will travel thru your gi system quicker, thus making your kidneys work harder.

Processed meats have nitrates/nitrites as a preservative. Once in your stomach and combined with stomach acid, they become carcinogenic. Processed meat is a risk factor for gastric cancer. Men are particularly at risk.

Processed in the context of meat means salted, cured, smoked or preserved. Feed him fresh meats that have no additives.

[Rom623]

Looks like kidney rejuvenation may not be too far off.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto

It all depends on what damage was done to the kidneys.

Some damage is reversible. Most types are not.

Some kidney problems require restriction of fluids; some require extra fluids.

Some types require restriction of salt; some types require extra salt.

Some types require restriction of protein; some don't.

Some types will benefit from certain meds; most don't.

No "supplement' will help; some will hurt.

Her specific case needs to be discussed with her docs.

This. Mine are at 25% and 75% after bladder cancer, and my Nephrologist told me that nothing can be done to improve that, just to keep it from getting worse. The main things he recommended were limiting salt, and drinking plenty of water.

[Rom623]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

This. Mine are at 25% and 75% after bladder cancer, and my Nephrologist told me that nothing can be done to improve that, just to keep it from getting worse. The main things he recommended were limiting salt, and drinking plenty of water.

Have you tried any supplements like P5P, Renadyl, glutathione, milk thistle, or R-lipoic acid?