Kidney disease may well be one of the most unrecognized, serious health issues affecting Americans today.
It affects 30 million Americans (approximately 15 percent of the general population), and as many as 90 percent of people who suffer from kidney disease likely do not even know they have it.1,2 It is also the ninth leading cause of death in the United States and is quickly growing in prevalence.
Part of the reason for these alarming statistics is that kidney disease is strongly linked to diabetes and high blood pressure, which are also very prevalent in the general population and can go undetected for years in terms of being related to kidney disease.1,2
Given this data, it is not unlikely that you will have patients who either have kidney disease or may be at risk of developing it. Because early detection and prevention have been shown as the most effective means of stopping, or slowing disease progression, it is vital for chiropractors to understand which vitamins and supplements their patients can take to boost kidney health.
1.Probiotics
An article published in Kidney and Blood Pressure Research performed a meta-analysis on smaller studies that tested the effects of a probiotic on kidney disease.3 Imbalances of gut bacteria have been linked with faster progression of chronic kidney disease by increasing urea toxin levels.
For this study, the researchers pooled together results from a number of smaller studies to find patterns of similarity among the findings, which could strengthen the results. They used a total of eight studies that included 261 patients with stage 3 to stage 5 chronic kidney disease.
In comparing the results from each study, the researchers concluded that there may be some benefit to be gained from the use of probiotics to protect gut bacteria of patients with chronic kidney disease. However, larger studies should be conducted to confirm this finding.3
2. Vitamin D
There has been a great deal of solid research linking vitamin D deficiency to an increased risk for developing chronic kidney disease.4
Specifically, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency can lead to the development of a particular protein, known as albuminuria, in the urine. High levels of this protein are often an indicator of kidney damage, as healthy kidneys will filter this protein out from the urine to use in the body.4,5
A 2013 article in the American Journal of Kidney Disease found that people with vitamin D deficiency were more than twice as likely as those with adequate serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to have albuminuria in their urine over a five-year time span.5
The study found that patients who had low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D were 84 percent more likely to have albuminuria compared to those patients with normal vitamin levels.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) emphasize the importance of early detection of kidney disease.1
Much like diabetes, your patients may go for years without even realizing that they have serious issues with their kidneys. This is why it is vital to start your patients on a proper routine of vitamins to support their kidneys if there is any indication that they may have kidney disease.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance System – United States. http://www.cdc.gov/ckd Updated Dec. 4, 2018. Accessed Dec.27, 2018.
2. Tuot DS, Plantinga LC, Hsu CY, et al. Chronic kidney disease awareness among individuals with clinical markers of kidney dysfunction. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2011;6(8):1838-1844.
3. Jia L, Jia Q, Yang J, Jia R, Zhang H. Efficacy of probiotics supplementation on chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Kidney Blood Pressure Research. 2018;43(5):1623-1635.
4. Jean G, Souberbielle JC, Chazot C. Vitamin D in chronic kidney disease and dialysis patients. Nutrients. 2017;9(4):328.
5. Damasiewicz MJ, Magliano DJ, Daly RM, et al. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and the 5-year incidence of CKD. American Journal of Kidney Disease. 2013 Jul;62(1):58-66.
