Anything in excess is always harmful. Your kidneys are just one of the many bodily components that are impacted by alcohol consumption. One or two drinks, at times, have no lasting impact. But excessive drinking might be bad for your health. It might make kidney disease worse if you are suffering from it. Kidney treatment in Ayurveda has helped treat proteinuria. Ayurveda is also beneficial for patients with alcohol abuse. Ayurveda treatment for fixing proteinuria includes the use of natural herbs that helps in relieving symptoms and alongside help in kidney rejuvenation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), two out of every three adult Americans consume alcohol. Some of these frequent drinkers frequently consume more than five drinks at once. “Binge Drinking” or excessively can injure the kidneys and potentially cause acute renal failure. Acute renal failure refers to a state of a sudden decline in kidney function. Acute kidney failure might go away after taking certain precautions, but it can also lead to a long-lasting kidney damage.
Even without binge drinking, drinking excessively or too frequently might also harm the kidneys. The damage here is observed more gradually and slowly. The chance of chronic kidney disease, which does not get better with time, has been observed to double with regular heavy drinking. Heavy drinkers who also smoke have been found to have an even higher risk of renal issues. The likelihood of developing CKD is approximately five times higher in heavy drinkers who smoke than in non-smokers.
Pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with smaller frames should use extra caution.
What are the functions of kidneys?
Kidneys regulate the body’s fluid composition. In addition, kidneys produce hormones that influence other physiological processes like blood pressure regulation, red blood cell production, and calcium metabolism. Along with producing hormones, the kidneys also respond to the actions of regulatory hormones produced in the brain, the parathyroid glands in the neck, and the adrenal glands atop the kidneys.
How does alcohol harm the kidneys?
Harmful toxins are removed from your blood by your kidneys. Alcohol is one of the substances that cause harm to your kidneys. Alcohol use can alter the renal function and reduce the kidney’s capacity to filter blood. Your kidneys perform various critical functions in addition to filtering blood. One of these tasks is keeping the appropriate amount of water in your body. Your kidney’s capability to perform this function is impacted by alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates the body, which can interfere with organ and cell function, including kidney function.
Your blood pressure may also be affected by drinking too much alcohol. High blood pressure is more commonly seen in people who drink excessively. Alcohol can also have an impact on the effectiveness of blood pressure ayurvedic medicines. High blood pressure is commonly observed as a major cause of kidney disease. Having more than two drinks a day raises the chances of high blood pressure. These high levels of alcohol consumption increase the likelihood of having the kidney disease indication of protein in the urine (albuminuria or proteinuria). The good news is that you may avoid this by limiting your alcohol consumption.
Liver disease can also be brought on by chronic drinking. This adds to the kidney’s function. For your kidneys to effectively filter your blood, the rate of blood flow to them is typically maintained at a set level. This crucial task of balancing gets compromised by liver illness. The majority of individuals in the United States who have both renal impairment and liver disease are alcoholics.
Chronic drinking increases the work of the kidneys by causing liver disease. For the kidneys to function properly, the rate of blood flow to them is normally maintained at a certain level. It has been observed in the US that patients diagnosed with both liver and associated kidney dysfunction are alcohol-dependent.
How can ayurveda help with alcohol abuse and affected kidneys?
Alcoholism is turning up as a difficult-to-deal-with issue in our modern society. Alcoholism is a difficult addiction to overcome. Actually, quitting alcohol does not cause the problem; rather, the withdrawal symptoms are difficult to handle. However, Ayurveda can help you ease the withdrawal symptoms and eventually help you stop alcohol addiction altogether.
Here is a list of a few home remedies to kick alcohol addiction:
- Fresh fruits like pomegranates, apples, and grapes should be included in the patient’s diet.
- Use a small amount of ghee for cooking food instead of using cooking oil. One can also try a formulation mix of 10 gm of ghee and rock sugar and eat it. This acts as an antioxidant and a detoxifier.
- Lemon also acts as a great detoxifier. Consuming lemon can help you a lot. Mix a spoonful of lemon juice with a pinch of salt and consume it on an empty stomach every morning.
- Curd (Dahi) is another detoxifier. It can turn out to be beneficial if anyone wants to overcome alcoholism. Curd should be included in your daily diet, preferably after a meal.
- Onion juice has also helped fight alcoholism and reduce withdrawal symptoms. One spoonful of onion juice every day can turn out to be helpful.
- Alcohol craving is a difficult withdrawal symptom. Whenever you crave a drink, eat sweets instead. Sweets can help you curb cravings. Carrying a few sweets with you at all times can be helpful. People who have diabetes must be careful while consuming anything sweet.
- Coriander (dhania), capsicum (Shimla Mirch), and rock sugar ground together and soak 1 tsp of it in a glass of water and leave overnight. The next morning, drink this filtered water on an empty stomach.