There are many reasons for increased creatinine and urea levels in the blood. Urea and creatinine are the endotoxins usually caused by reduced excretion of the protein metabolism end products via urine.
The BUN ratio - (The Blood Urea Nitrogen) The BUN ratio is the term used for the ratio of two serum laboratory values, the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr). The BUN ratio helps to diagnose if the cause is due to damage to kidney due to kidney disease ( intrarenal diseases) or pre-renal or post-renal causes.
Increased urea and creatinine are mainly caused by renal failure or decreased kidney function. Kidneys work as filters in our body. Filtering the toxins out from our body and cleansnig the blood. If the kidneys are not working properly due to Diabetic nephropathy, Renal artery stenosis (genetic or due to chronic blood pressure) and other kidney diseases like renal cysts, malignancies, tumors, drugs and others.
DIET IN RENAL FAILURE – NO SPECIFIC DIET ACTUALLY !
In renal failure there is actually no specific diet as it has to be customized according to your requirements. There are some basic things which need to be understood to get the best results. The renal dietician or a doctor or a nutritionist should always be consulted for a proper renal diet as per your condition.
Water Intake - The water intake can be upto 6-8 glasses per day in case there is no accumulation of water in the body. Swelling in feet, face is the sign that shows there is water retention in the body and water is accumulating in the body and kidneys are not able to remove excess water from the body. So the water intake needs to be limited and under guidance of a doctor in this case. If there is no swelling in the body and the urine output is normal, then the water intake can be 6-8 glasses or even more in case of increased creatinine levels. It helps to reduce creatinine levels naturally
Non-Veg Diet - Usually the proteins are not recommended in kidney failure. If the patient is on haemodialysis then slightly higher intake of proteins ( Animal protein - meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk, and Vegetable proteins - nuts, pulses (beans, lentils etc), tofu ) is recommended. The higher intake is about 100-120 gm per day and the low intake is about 40-50 gm per day.
Salt ( Sodium) – Salty food contains a lot of salt. So no need to take extra salt. Salt usually causes water retention. If you drink water and you have already taken salt, the water is going to get logged in your body. So reduce the salt intake. The lower limit is about 2-3 grams, so this much is ok per day (including the salt in your food) . If you already have water retention (signs- swollen feet, ascites, swollen abdomen, swollen face) then other lo salt options should be tried.
Potassium – Potassium is usually high in patients in severe renal failure and dialysis. The potassium intake actually can not be really restricted as almost all healthy foods contain potassium. It is mostly found in green vegetables, almost all the fruits, vegetables, Potatoes (especially fried or baked). So one can not practially stop eating everything. So I would recommend to take fruits and vegetables and proteins in moderation. Boiling the vegetables, potatoes also helps a lot in this situation.
Phosphate - Too much phosphate in the blood (hyperphosphataemia) usually becomes a significant problem in the later stages of renal failure (stages 4 and 5 CKD, usually less than 20% kidney function). The problem continues for most dialysis patients, as dialysis does not remove enough phosphate unless it is very frequent or intensive. A combination of diet and medicines are usually needed. Diet alone is hardly helpful. Phosphate binders are the drugs given to decrease phosphate absorbtion from the gut.
Packaged food, processed food – All packaged foods, fried items, processed food etc. should be stricktly avoided. All soft drinks, heavily cooked foods purchased from market, deepfried items, fried potatoes, alcohol should all be avoided.
Herbs to lower urea and creatinine –
There are herbs in Ayurved which are cleansing and help support the kidneys naturally. These are – ( Also Check this page at the site - Planet Ayurveda
1. Mutrakrichantak Churna
11. Detox tea - for complete detoxification
All these items from 1 to 8 (or whatever available) should be taken 1 teaspoonful each and put in 400 ml water. The water should be boiled untill it is about 50 ml. Strain it and drink the water (50 ml) and leave the residue. If you can consume the residue it is still ok and if you can’t even then it’s ok.
Others from 9 to 10- 2 tablets thrice daily are given.
I hope this article is useful for the people who are suffering from renal failure. I wish them health and happiness. Since there are so many people suffering and I am not in a position to answer everyone, I request you to visit the website www.planetayurveda.com/mutrakrichantak.htm for more information.
Perfect!!! What I can say in this article is very important to be written as it may help everybody to get awareness. Good job
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