Kidneys are vital organs often overlooked. Functional medicine doctor Lu Bo Ren from Taiwan notes a common misconception that kidney damage results solely from excessive salt intake. In reality, the more insidious "silent killers" are poorly managed blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood fat, often exacerbated by numerous "hidden traps" in daily diets.

Doctor Lu Bo Ren explains that many people unknowingly engage in kidney-damaging behaviors. Chronic kidney disease does not manifest with immediate pain or symptoms like a flu. Kidneys often suffer silent damage, enduring until the disease suddenly becomes severe.

Many people mistakenly believe that kidney damage stems from eating too much salt. However, the truly dangerous "silent killer" is the poor control of three key indicators: blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood fat, also known as the "three highs syndrome."

How the "three highs syndrome" damages kidneys

Doctor Lu Bo Ren specifically explains the destructive mechanisms of these three factors:

High blood sugar

Diabetic kidney disease is the leading cause of kidney failure globally. Sustained high blood sugar thickens and hardens the microvessels in the kidneys, subjecting the glomeruli to excessive filtering pressure. Over time, the glomeruli become exhausted, fibrotic, and lose function. Patients typically experience no pain or warning signals, but their kidneys are aging daily.

High blood pressure

The blood vessels within the kidneys are as small and thin as hair. High blood pressure acts on them like a powerful water jet blasting a tiny pipe. This prolonged condition damages blood vessels, causes endothelial inflammation, reduces elasticity, and diminishes blood flow to the kidneys. Consequently, kidney function declines rapidly and uncontrollably.

High blood fat (dyslipidemia)

Many people associate high blood fat primarily with an increased risk of heart disease. However, Doctor Lu stresses that kidneys can also develop atherosclerosis. As blood vessels harden and narrow, less blood reaches the kidneys, causing kidney function to gradually constrict like a tightening faucet.

Grilled foods, with their excessive protein and rich flavors, place a heavy burden on the kidneys. Illustration: Linh Linh

Daily dietary "hidden traps" harming kidneys

Beyond the "three highs syndrome," Doctor Lu Bo Ren warns that daily eating habits contain too many foods that are detrimental to kidney health, including:

Braised dishes, fried chicken, hotpot toppings

These items combine high sodium content with phosphate additives. Inorganic phosphate in processed foods has an extremely high absorption rate, which kidneys cannot fully excrete, leading to a surge in blood phosphate levels. Concurrently, high sodium intake results in edema and increased blood pressure, significantly multiplying the burden on the kidneys.

Milk tea, black milk tea

Creamer and milk powder contain large amounts of inorganic phosphate. Additionally, a high-sugar diet causes severe blood sugar fluctuations, increasing pressure on the glomeruli.

Convenient lunchboxes

These dishes are intensely flavored and high in sodium. Eating out often results in more than double the sodium intake compared to home-cooked meals. Prolonged high sodium consumption is an "express train" to high blood pressure and declining kidney function.

Grilled foods and Korean-style dishes

Excessive protein combined with rich, strong flavors places a significant burden on the kidneys.

Seaweed, kelp, sweet potato leaves

These foods have a high potassium content. Especially when patients have progressed to stage 4 kidney disease, if potassium cannot be excreted, it can easily lead to cardiac arrhythmia. Doctor Lu emphasizes that these foods are not forbidden, but portions must be strictly controlled.

Processed meats

Examples include sausages, cold cuts, hotdogs, and fish/beef balls. This group contains very high levels of sodium and phosphate, posing a greater risk to kidneys than regular fresh meat due to their extremely high inorganic phosphate absorption.

Doctor Lu Bo Ren points out that many individuals drink only 500-800 ml of water throughout the day, believing there is no issue as long as they do not feel dizzy or thirsty. However, the kidneys' job is to "concentrate blood"; drinking too little water forces them to filter waste from a "polluted, muddy" source. Dehydration concentrates urine, increasing the burden on kidneys, raising the risk of kidney stones and infections, and subjecting glomeruli to prolonged pressure.

Doctor Lu explains that most adults require 1,500-2,000 ml of water daily. For patients with chronic kidney disease, a specialist must adjust water intake, but it is crucial to understand that drinking less is not necessarily better.

Doctor Lu Bo Ren emphasizes that kidney disease does not become severe suddenly; it results from the accumulation of daily minor damage. Saving and protecting kidneys cannot rely solely on doctors. The four core principles for safeguarding this organ are: effectively managing blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood fat; avoiding diets high in sodium, phosphate, sugar, and protein; and most importantly, drinking sufficient water.

My Y (Via Yahoo TW)