Kidney Cleanse: 22 Foods for Kidney Health
Kidney cleanses have been utilized since ancient times to keep the kidneys free of calcium deposits. These calcium accumulations can sometimes increase to the size of a kidney stone. You’ll usually know when you have a kidney stone because the pain can be excruciating. Thankfully, both kidney cleanses and consuming essential foods for kidney health are sound ways to prevent complications.
The kidneys are very delicate organs which filter the blood — 24/7 — over the course of a lifetime. Therefore, it really helps to conduct a regular cleanse either by way of one’s diet or through the use of a formal herbal cleanse program. The herbal cleanse is designed to gently dissolve the calcium deposits and other accumulations which can build up.
The foods that are particularly well suited for keeping the kidneys clean are as follows (all preferably organic):
- Cranberry juice
- Grape juice
- Freshly squeezed orange juice and grapefruit juice
- A Lemon or Lime wedge squeeze in a glass of purified water
- Watermelon
- Blueberries and Cranberries
- Apples
- Grapes
- Cooking with Ginger and
Turmeric - Garnish salads and meals with Parsley
- Kale
- Pumpkin seeds
Other foods to optimize kidney health are as follows:
- Algae products such as spirulina, chlorella, and blue green algae
- Bananas
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Legumes and seeds
- Papaya
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Sprouts
- Watercress
(Source: Alive.com)
Read: 7 Home Remedies for Kidney Stones
A diet rich in these foods and juices will help keep the kidneys free of stones as well as the minute calcium deposits which can compromise organ function over the long term. Kidney beans will also help tonify the kidneys and keep them strong.
Here are some excellent recipes that ought to be used during those seasons when the food ingredients are grown locally, if possible. Fresh watermelon juice is always preferable of course.
Watermelon Flush
- Juice 6 cups fresh watermelon, roughly chopped and include the rind and seeds
Parsley Purifier
Juice the following ingredients doing the parsley and celery last:
- ½ -1 cup of fresh parsley
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 carrot
- 1 small cucumber
(Be sure to stir well after all the vegetables are juiced)
Foods that assist in maintaining healthy potassium levels are especially good for the kidneys. Bananas, dried fruit, and grape juice are especially good as are beans, dark leafy greens, and avocados.
Read: The Essential Liver Cleanse and Gallbladder Flush
Juice-Based Kidney Flushes and Herbal Kidney Cleanses
There are many different herbal protocols which have been designed to cleanse the kidneys. Some of these are very gentle cleanses and take a little longer; others take a more aggressive approach and are shorter in duration. The specific herbal formulations and various support tonics along with the number of doses per day should be carefully considered given one’s lifestyle and/or work demands.
If you’re seeking a specialty product or protocol, Natural Society recommends the Kidney Cleanse Kit that is offered by the Global Healing Center (GHC). Not only is their cleanse easy to do, the protocol will conveniently fit into the life of a busy professional. The GHC program is highly effective for those who have not performed any prior kidney cleanses or flushes. Click here for the minimal part of the Kidney Cleanse Kit.
When looking for an herbal kidney cleanse program, some combination of the following herbs ought to be present in the formulation:
Herbal Ingredients:
- “Chanca Piedra (herb) – Rich with phytochemicals and biological activity, Chanca piedra has a firm position in the herbal medicine systems of everywhere it grows. The Spanish name of the plant literally means “stone breaker” and it’s been used by South American people to promote kidney and gallbladder health for centuries.
- Hydrangea (root) – Hydrangea is well known in Native America folk medicine as a remedy for kidney stones. With incredible solvent properties, Hydragnea root is thought to dissolve the sharp edges of stones to make them easier to pass.
- Uva Ursi (lichen) – Uva ursi gets its effectiveness from a glycoside known as arbutin. Uva ursi is a well known herbal remedy for urinary and bladder problems. It encourages a clean urinary tract and normal urine flow.
- Gravel Root (root) – Also known as Joe-Pye weed, gravel root is appreciated by Indian tribes for urinary tract health.It’s traditionally believed to dissolve deposits and offer restorative qualities to the kidneys.
- Goldenrod (root) – Also popular in Native American medicine, goldenrod is traditionally used to support the urinary system. It tightens and tones urinary tissues and strengthens the kidneys.
- Marshmallow (root) – Marshmallow has a variety of applications and its diuretic qualities are among the most appreciated. Able to stimulate urine production and soothe the urinary tract, marshmallow gently and effectively supports the kidneys.” (Source: Global Healing Center)
Additional Sources:
I would like to add some more content to this important article. I have been engaged in numerous cleanses during almost 2 years now, of self-treatment for multiple complex Cancers. I did not start out knowing the intricately intertwined relationship between Cancer treatment and detoxifying all the organs involved in this intense healing process. But looking back, I now realize it was likely an overload of toxins in my organs — Kidneys, Liver, Intestines, which initially set off the formation of Cancer. The reason this understanding is so crucial is that unless and until we unburden the organs of their accumulated sewage sludge, they cannot perform sufficiently in ridding the body of Cancer. The same is true with eliminating the additional burden of toxins created from the dead cells of Cancer and other pathogens, toxic metabolites from our pharmaceuticals, chemicals and heavy metals ingesting through various input channels, and any accumulated by-products of our body machinery — they all need a channel of elimination and the Liver may be the President but the Kidneys are the VP. So, a more accurate way of conceptualizing Cancer treatment is that you are getting your Organs Of Elimination back on line so the body can once again, do the heavy work of fighting off the formation or proliferation of Cancer. Said differently: Our bodies can cure Cancer – if we know how to facilitate this process, and my Kidneys have proved to be my best back-up system. This leads to my point of writing this Comment: while the Liver is often named as the primary Organ of Elimination (toxins, pathogens, chemicals, drugs), very few people realize how overburdened their Livers really are these days — living in the world such as it is, automatically means our Livers need support. What happens when the body begins to break down in some way (“dis-ease”), i.e., we get sick? This is evidence that our main Organ of Elimination, the Liver, cannot keep up. That is when the the Kidneys, Intestines, Lungs, and Skin are forced to pick up more of the body’s burden of waste elimination, and the Kidneys are the next biggest work horse in this line of Organs of Elimination. When we do any type of Detox or “Cleanse,” even such as an unintentional fast, or we eat a whole watermelon in a weekend because they were On Sale, or we get exposed to an unexpected load of pollutants which asks our organs of elimination or defenses to work harder, we want our Organs of Elimination to be fully functioning. So, tuning up your Kidney Function is actually essential to preventing sickness as well as eliminating it when it happens. During sickness and also during cleanses, it is the kidneys which I think matter most; we can see and feel more directly what is happening — our skin will change, our breath changes, our odor changes, and our urine changes. This process talks to us, prompts us to self-correct. and we can receive immediate encouragement by what we are doing – the kidney elimination channel can be highly instructive in our Detox Efforts. This is what I have found to be true and therefore I hope this story will encourage everyone reading to rehabilitate their Kidney Function — Kidneys are the next-in-line defense when your Liver gets maxed out, and most Human Beings alive today have an overburdened Liver. The average newborn American baby is born pre-loaded with hundreds of chemicals in their bloodstream. This level of body consciousness might not be what our Grandmothers would have taught us, but it is what we need to teach our Grandchildren. This is not the same planet it was 100 years ago.
I had a burger and some butter popcorn. and I felt like I was dying in bed last night, I’m going 100% vegan if possible now, and I may even stay in that lifestyle. I was having compulsing pain in my back where the kidney and liver are. it was deep in the center as well. Ive been eating fruits… but never roots. If they can help Ill be very grateful. No more burgers or butter, or anything of that nature any more.
I hope this has been going great for you! So amazing to hear that more and more people are making the active decision to take care of their beautiful and magnificent bodies. Cheers, my friend! We did it and are getting stronger, don’t ever give up 🙂
i have had great results yesterday with celery juice with red apples and carrots. also try “Pearled barerly” it’s great too!
And kidney beans are meant to be good. but all i can find at the moment is baked beans ;(
Thanks for sharing this list of liver cleansing plants. I just finished an article on colon cleansing foods that this will complement.
I completely agree with Ariel’s post. Right now my kidney function is bad and I do have discomfort sleeping. Change and add a few things and hope I can beat it!