Can Turmeric Affect the Kidneys?

Can turmeric affect the kidneys? The answer is both yes and no. The kidneys are a vital organ that assists with removing toxins and purification of our blood, and turmeric is a spice that possesses a multitude of health benefits.

Turmeric usually boosts our immunity and health in such a way that it wards off various diseases that act as contributing factors to significant and minor kidney issues. Therefore, when turmeric is consumed in moderate amounts, it has a beneficial effect on the kidneys as it prevents inflammation, free radicals, blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia issues.

However, if there is an excessive intake of turmeric, then the kidneys can become prone to serve kidney problems such as kidney stones. So, the turmeric quantity you use will be decided whether it will positively or negatively affect your kidneys.

How Turmeric Affects the Kidneys?

The following are the good and bad effects of turmeric on the kidneys:

• Beneficial Impact of Turmeric on Kidneys

Turmeric has important anti-inflammatory activity due to the presence of curcumin. Curcumin is an effective component that assists in conventional therapeutic activity.  Chronic kidney disease, also known as CKD, an inflammation condition, may contribute to dialysis and transplantation due to kidney failure towards the terminal phase.

In fact, it is also linked with certain infectious illnesses such as allergies and heart conditions. Certain harmful substances are medically important and perform a significant part in CKD and kidney-related diseases.

Curcumin can inhibit the production and function of these inflammation-causing agents and help cure CKD along with other inflammatory issues related to it. The latest discoveries have indicated that in disorders such as chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis, decreased intestinal permeation leads to the release of inflammation-causing molecules from the intestine into the bloodstream.

The increase in digestive permeability is attributed to the reduced production of harmful proteins in the intestine. Such activity decreases the amount of toxic circulatory chemical compounds. This impact of curcumin on the intestine may clarify why turmeric has possible anti-inflammatory results and favorable benefits on CKD, given its low absorption.

Kidney malfunction is primarily triggered by infection of the kidney, and this is why it can benefit from taking turmeric. Turmeric functions by lowering swelling in multiple body areas like the kidney. Turmeric is indeed a potent antioxidant that tends to counteract biological contaminants.

Free radicals induce oxidation and are negated by turmeric successfully, creating a healthy atmosphere amid a strengthened immune response. Heart complications should be combated by renal disorders, which may do complete harm to the body. Nevertheless, it may also support the cardiovascular conditions along the process, with the turmeric's healing effects.

Turmeric decreases cardiac stress and regulates hypertension. It allows the heart to function appropriately, decreasing the burden on the kidneys. The liver and kidneys operate in conjunction, which means one 's inability to work will strain another. Many patients who contend with liver disease may have long-term trouble with their kidneys.

• Adverse Impact of Turmeric on Kidneys

When used in limited amounts, turmeric is usually effective in stable persons. This can also cause negative effects on certain individuals. It is generally recommended to avoid high-doses or long-term turmeric usage because it can cause gastrointestinal issues. The typical adverse effects include acid reflux, fatigue, vomiting, and stomach pain.

This seasoning can also interfere with other medicines, like chemotherapeutic medicines and immunosuppressants. Turmeric cannot be healthy if utilized in significant quantities by dialysis patients. Individuals on dialysis began to suffer from hematomas and faced unexpected postpartum hemorrhage after many days of consuming approximately five grams of turmeric.

Excessive turmeric consumption will raise the likelihood of kidney stones. Turmeric is rich in oxalates that can attach to calcium and create calcium carbonate that is not soluble and accounts for about more than half of all kidney stones. In individuals with a propensity to develop kidney stones, it should be advised to eat only small turmeric levels.

Different Types of Kidney Problems

The following are some of the significant kidney diseases that affect people:

• Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD

Chronic Kidney disease is perhaps the main prevalent type of kidney disorder. Chronic kidney failure is a disorder that does not get better immediately. One of its major triggering factors includes hypertension.  

Hypertension is harmful to the kidneys as the strain on the glomeruli may be enhanced. Glomeruli are the small bloodstream channels in the kidneys that filter blood. With time these channels are weakened by elevated strain, and kidney functionality starts to degrade.

Kidney activity can gradually worsen to the extent that the kidneys cannot do their duties adequately anymore. An individual will have to go on dialysis in this situation. The dialysis removes excess blood volume and pollution. Dialysis can aid but cannot heal kidney failure. Based on the conditions, a kidney transplant could be another care choice.

• Glomerulonephritis

The infection of the glomeruli in the kidney is known as glomerulonephritis. Glomeruli within the kidneys are tiny frameworks which process the blood. Infectious diseases, medications, or cardiomyopathy defects may trigger glomerulonephritis. This condition usually gets better with time.

• Urinary Tract Infection or UTI

Diseases of the urinary tract are infectious diseases in any portion of the urinary tract. The most serious illnesses occur in the bladder and kidneys. These are easy to handle and seldom contribute to more severe medical conditions. If kept unchecked, certain diseases can occur in the kidneys and trigger renal failure.

• Kidney Stones

A more serious kidney condition is kidney stones. They arise as crystals, and other blood-borne compounds condense in the kidneys, creating dense stones or blocks. Generally, kidney stones fall out of the body when urinating. This may be very difficult to remove kidney stones, although they never trigger serious complications.

• Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic renal dysfunction is an inherited condition that induces multiple kidney cysts to develop. Such cysts can clash with the operation of the kidneys and lead to the failure of kidneys.

Factors that Affect the Kidneys Adversely and their Remedies

Unlearning such destructive habits isn't very hard. We have enlisted some of the widely known behavior patterns that stress your kidneys unknowingly and how their adverse effect can be resolved.

• Mindful Use of NSAIDs and other Drugs

Prescription drugs, including NSAIDs, can cure the spasms and strains, but they also damage the kidneys, particularly if you previously had kidney complications. Therefore, you should decrease the routine usage of NSAIDs and avoid moving past the dose you prescribe.

• Avoiding Excessive Junk Food Consumption

The refined products are integral salt and phosphorus suppliers. Most patients with kidney failure tend to restrict their intakes to phosphorus. Several researchers have found that excessive phosphorus levels from packaged products in individuals without kidney failure are actually detrimental to their kidneys and bones. To manage certain balanced eating patterns, consider taking the DASH diet.

• Controlled Salt Intake

Excessive intake of salt can trigger hypertension, and it promotes a negative impact on your kidneys. To limit salt's addition to your food, you should try to enhance the flavor of your meals by introducing different condiments into them, and it will become much easier for you to curtail salt usage.

• Adequate Hydration

Keeping sufficiently hydrated helps flush salt and body contaminants out of the kidneys. A safe approach to prevent debilitating kidney stones is always to consume lots of tea. Anyone with renal disease or kidney dysfunction may need to minimize their fluid consumption, so consuming a maximum of two liters of water on a daily basis is a safe goal for many folks.

• Minimal Alcohol Consumption

Extra-heavy consumption-more than five beverages a day increased the chance of chronic kidney disease. Binge drinkers who start smoking, also run an even greater threat of kidney damage. Tobacco users who are big drinkers have almost six times the risk of having permanent kidney failure compared with the individuals who do not regularly consume alcohol.

• Controlled Sugar Intake

Sugar leads to weight gain that raises the likelihood of contracting hypertension and diabetes; two of the main factors of kidney disorder. Remove seasonings, cereals for breakfast, and white flour, both of which are deceptive forms of refined sugar. When consuming processed foods, pay heed to the products to stop adding sugar into the diet.

• Moderate Protein Intake

Protein from animal sources in the blood produces excessive acid levels that may be toxic to the kidneys and induce acidosis – a disease under which the kidneys can't absorb the acid rapidly sufficiently. Protein is required for all body areas to develop, sustain, and restore, but the nutrition should be well supplemented with fruits and veggies.

• Quit Smoking

Smoking is not healthy for the lungs.  Yet, do you realize smoking could not be safe for your kidneys as well? Avid smokers get a higher risk of finding toxins in the urine, which is a symptom of kidney injury.

Final Word

Turmeric has many beneficial effects if consumed in moderate amounts, but if it is taken in increased quantities, then it can cause more harm than good.

References:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6271001/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18469248/
• https://bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-019-1621-6
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/480218-is-turmeric-bad-for-your-kidneys/
• https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03475017
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25474287/