By: Ana Garcia, CSUN Dietetic Intern Cohort 2021-2022
Healthy kidneys are essential to our well-being since their function is to keep our body in balance by regulating and removing substances, such as minerals, electrolytes, (e.g., calcium, potassium, sodium), acids, and protein in the blood as needed.1 The kidneys also function to produce erythropoietin (a hormone needed to make red blood cells) and turn vitamin D into its active form so it is usable in the body. Kidneys regulate fluid with a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron has a filter known as the glomerulus.2 To know how well our kidneys are functioning, a lab test would measure our glomerular filtration rate (GFR). A GFR consistently below normal is a cause for concern because it indicates that the kidneys cannot properly remove waste products such as ammonia, urea, uric acid, and creatinine from our blood.3 If waste cannot be excreted in the urine, these toxins build up in our body.3 Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the gradual loss of kidney function and is diagnosed when GFR is <60.3 People with CKD must adhere to strict dietary recommendations to prevent further kidney damage and limit waste buildup in the body.
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