➡️6. Eating Too Much Sugar, Especially Fructose
We’ve already talked about how carbohydrates can spike your blood sugar (glucose), but we need to have a separate conversation about sugar itself, specifically fructose. Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are roughly 50% glucose and 50% fructose. While nearly every cell in your body can use glucose for energy, fructose is processed almost exclusively by your liver. When you consume too much, you overwhelm your liver, forcing it to convert the fructose into fat. This leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but the damage doesn’t stop there.
This metabolic chaos also increases your levels of uric acid and systemic inflammation, and it sends your triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) soaring. All of these factors directly interfere with your kidneys’ ability to filter your blood, putting an extra burden on them. You’ll find this damaging fructose hiding in obvious places like candy and soda, but also in condiments, snack bars, protein bars, and especially fruit juice. A glass of orange juice can hit your system with a sugar load just as bad as a can of soda. If you want to reverse or prevent kidney damage, you must cut your sugar intake to virtually zero. Focus on getting your fruit from low-glycemic, high-fiber sources like berries, and always choose the whole fruit over the juice.
➡️7. Overloading on Excess Lean Protein
There’s a persistent myth that eating protein, particularly from animal sources, is inherently bad for your kidneys. This is not true for people with healthy kidneys. However, there is a real risk if you already have compromised kidney function and you eat an excess of very lean protein. Think of things like skinless chicken breast, rabbit, or deer meat, especially when eaten without any added fat.
If your kidney filtration rate (eGFR) is already below 60 mL/min, and you load up on this type of protein, your body produces an excess of urea and other nitrogenous waste products from protein metabolism. Your already-struggling kidneys now have to work much harder to filter out this extra waste, which puts a significant strain on them. The confusion often arises because when doctors find protein in the urine, it’s a sign of a damaged, “leaky” kidney. People then mistakenly assume the protein they ate caused the leak, but it’s actually a symptom of pre-existing damage.
The solution is not to fear protein, but to be smart about it. Choose cuts of meat, chicken, and fish that contain their natural fat. Eat whole eggs and fatty fish like sardines. If you do eat very lean game meat, make sure to add plenty of healthy fats to the meal. If your kidney function is impaired, it’s wise to moderate your overall protein intake and work with a knowledgeable practitioner.
➡️8. Ignoring Critical Blood Test Markers
You can’t fix a problem you don’t know you have. One of the biggest ways people sabotage their kidneys is by not getting regular blood work or not understanding what the results are telling them. The key marker for kidney function is the estimated glomerular filtration rate, or eGFR. This number estimates how many milliliters of blood your kidneys filter per minute. A healthy, optimal rate is 90 or above. The problem is, your standard lab report won’t flag anything as “high” or “low” until your function has dropped significantly.
The stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be confusing. Stage 1 is an eGFR of 90+, which is considered normal. Stage 2 is an eGFR between 60 and 89. Your lab report will likely say this is normal, but you’ve already lost a considerable amount of function! This is the critical early window where you can make changes. Stage 3A is 45-59, and 3B is 30-44. By this point, you’ve lost half or more of your kidney function, often with minimal symptoms. The solution is to get your blood tested at least once a year and to track your eGFR yourself. Don’t just look for a flag from the lab; compare your number to the optimal range of 90+. If you see it trending downward year after year, even if it’s still in the “normal” range, it’s a red flag that you need to take action.
➡️9. Succumbing to Chronic Stress and Poor Sleep
Your mental and emotional state has a profound physical impact on your kidneys. Living in a chronic state of stress—whether from anger, frustration, overwhelm, or simply being a workaholic who never takes a break—is incredibly destructive. This constant stress keeps your body in a “fight-or-flight” sympathetic dominant state, which elevates your stress hormone, cortisol.
High cortisol levels directly contribute to high blood pressure and insulin resistance, two of the biggest enemies of your kidneys. It also fuels chronic inflammation throughout your body. Poor sleep has the same effect, preventing your body from performing the essential repair and regeneration processes that happen overnight. You must make stress management and quality sleep non-negotiable priorities. This means setting a strict bedtime, creating a relaxing wind-down routine, and learning techniques to shut off your stress response during the day. Simple practices like a few minutes of slow, deep breathing can quickly lower stress hormones. Regular exercise, meditation, and spending time in nature are also powerful tools for shifting your body out of a state of chronic stress and into one of healing.
➡️10. Not Addressing Insulin Resistance
We’ve saved the most important for last. Insulin resistance is the number one cause of kidney failure. It’s also the leading cause of blindness and amputations. The tragedy is that it causes damage for years, even decades, before it ever progresses to full-blown type 2 diabetes. For too long, the medical establishment has focused solely on blood sugar. But by the time your fasting blood sugar is consistently high, you’ve already lost the battle. The real problem started much earlier.
Insulin resistance is a condition where your cells stop responding properly to the hormone insulin. In response, your pancreas pumps out more and more insulin to try and keep your blood sugar under control. This high level of insulin is what causes the inflammation and damage. The true measure of insulin resistance isn’t just your blood sugar; it’s how much insulin your body needs to keep that blood sugar normal. You can track this by asking your doctor for a fasting insulin test and calculating your HOMA-IR score.
The fix is not the high-carbohydrate diet still promoted by many official health organizations. The solution is to drastically lower your carbohydrate intake by cutting out sugars, grains, and starches. Focus your diet on non-starchy vegetables, healthy proteins, and good fats. Combine this with regular movement and exercise. By reversing insulin resistance, you are addressing the root cause of what is most likely to damage your kidneys.
✨Conclusion
Your kidneys work tirelessly for you, day in and day out. They don’t ask for much in return—just a clean environment to do their job. By understanding and avoiding these ten common but destructive habits, you can lift the burden off these vital organs. It’s not about perfection; it’s about making conscious, consistent choices. Start by picking one or two areas to work on. Swap your soda for water. Go for a walk after dinner. Learn to cook one simple, whole-food meal. These small steps, taken consistently, can make a world of difference, ensuring your kidneys stay healthy and strong for a lifetime.
Source: Dr. Sten Ekberg