How to Increase GFR ?

“How to increase GFR?” Many of you have this question. So, rest your quest here. All you need to do is read till the end. Then, you do so in many natural ways.

What is GFR?

GFR stands for glomerular filtration rate. It is vital. GFR rate can tell how well your kidneys work. So, it is a crucial thing.

If your GFR is low, don’t worry. You can raise its levels in healthy ways. This will enhance your kidney function. It is vital to know how to increase GFR.

Kidneys filter the waste in body. They get vital amounts of water and nutrients from your blood. With this, they filter them. They send waste materials to the bladder. Here, they will be discharged as urine. The kidneys can help the electrolyte balance. It affects things like your heart rate and blood pressure.

You must look after your kidney health. If this filter isn’t functioning correctly you can suffer a lot. If you have any kidney disease, your GFR matters.

GFR is the amount of blood that passes from the kidneys per minute. If your GFR is too low, the kidneys cannot dilute properly. Then, toxins build up in the body. You can increase your GFR by improving your diet and lifestyle depending on the circumstances. Still, exceptionally low GFR may require prescription medications and professional medical treatment.

Considering that any imbalance in this system has a ripple effect across the body. Read on to find out what you can do to raise the GFR rate. It will help you with the health of your kidneys.

Before You Begin, Check Your GFR

Get a blood test. You may need a creatinine blood test. It will help test your GFR. Creatinine is a waste product. It is found in the blood. If it is very high in your blood, then it’s an alarm. This means your GFR has become very low.

To know how to increase GFR, read the given details.

1. Know your numbers:

Only one factor is involved in calculating GFR that tells the test result. For your GFR rate, doctors look after your:

• age
• race
• body size
• gender

Normal GFR rate means good kidneys.

The normal rate is 90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2. If it is  higher, then also good.

With low GFR, you can have CKD. It stands for chronic kidney disease

GFR Rate	CKD stage
between 60 and 89 ml per minute per 1.73 m2	stage 2
30 to 59 ml per minute per 1.73 m2	stage 3
15 to 29 ml per minute per 1.73 m2	stage 4
less than 15	stage 5

In stage five of CKD, things are serious. It means that your kidneys have failed.

2. Talk to the Doctor/Dietician:

Your doctor can give you additional details about your GFR score and how it might affect your life. A dietician and doctors can give you multiple ways how to increase GFR after understanding your health report.

Regardless of your CKD stage, you must make specific changes to your diet and overall lifestyle. However, during the early stages, these changes alone are sufficient to improve GFR.

In the later stages of CKD, you can get some medicines. They can help your kidney function. You also need some good life changes. It will make the medicines more useful.

The final stages of CKD come with dialysis. Some cases may need a kidney transplant.

What to raise GFR and stop kidney damage?

Kidney disease is typically a chronic condition that becomes worse over time. While it can increase GFR, acute renal injuries are more likely to do so than chronic kidney disease. To work on how to increase GFR, positive lifestyle adjustments may assist most chronic disease sufferers in delaying the decline in kidney function.

Some Research

According to reliable sources, how to increase GFR for renal issues:

1.    Controlling blood pressure:

You can control your BP with:

• Exercise
• a healthy diet
• lowering your stress level by yoga or meditation
• drinking less alcohol.

2.    Make sure you don’t have a vitamin D deficiency:

Low vitamin D is very common. And many of you don’t even know about its low levels. So, get it checked.

3.    See a dietician:

You should see a dietitian. When you have your blood levels checked, go see an expert if they are low. You can increase your sun exposure. A dietitian can tell you about the foods that have vitamin D. It will raise your vitamin D levels.

4.    Other metabolic problems:

There can be many such issues. You need to look after them. So, talk to an expert for this.

Make these 10 changes in your diet and lifestyle to increase GFR

1. More vegetables, less meat:

Your diet is the main thing. Meat has a lot of creatine and creatinine. They are bad for you. So, eat more vegetables. Say no to meat and animal Products.

2. Quit Smoking

Smoking builds up a lot of toxins in the body. They toxins end up in the kidneys. Quitting this habit will reduce the burden on the kidneys. It will increase their ability to filter waste products.

3. Managing Fluid Intake:

Water consumption can have a negative impact on GFR if it has already decreased. According to the studies, it is found that increased water intake during low GFR can actually decrease GFR even more.

4. Eat a low-salt diet:

It is hard to rule out sodium. If your kidneys are weak, avoid it. Thus, salt in your diet can worsen your condition. It will lower your GFR.

You should not eat foods high in salt. Eat foods low in sodium. Season your food with other spices instead of adding salt.

5. Home Made Food is important:

You should eat primarily home-cooked food made with peels and canned things to a minimum.

6.Less potassium and phosphorus:

Phosphorus and potassium are two minerals. They are hard to filter through the kidneys. So, if the kidneys are already weak don’t have them in your diet.

Foods rich in potassium are:

• winter squash
• sweet potatoes
• white beans
• yoghurt
• halibut
• orange juice
• broccoli
• cantaloupe
• bananas
• pulses
• milk
• salmon
• pistachios
• raisins
• chicken
• tuna.

Foods rich in phosphorus are:

milk

• yoghurt
• hard cheese
• cottage cheese
• ice cream
• pulses
• whole grains
• dried peas
• beans
• nuts
• sardines
• pollock (a saltwater fish)
• colas
• Flavoured water.

7. Consume Plant-Based Food:

Creatine and creatinine are not found in plant-based foods. You should eat a veg diet. This will help reduce other factors of CKD. It is good for sugar. You can get a stable BP with it.

8. Drink nettle leaf tea:

Drinking at least one to two 250 ml cups of nettle leaf tea daily can help lower creatinine levels in the body and increase GFR.

Consult your dietician to ensure nettle leaf tea is safe for you based on your medical history.

To make nettle leaf tea, take two fresh nettle leaves and let them steam in at least 250 ml water on a low flame for 10 to 20 minutes. Now filter and separate the leaves and drink hot tea.

9. Exercise regularly:

Cardio can help you with blood circulation. This will lead to pumping more blood. It will cause the toxins to be flushed in a better way. This will help your kidneys, leading to the enhanced gaffer. Regular exercise is the optimum answer to how to increase GFR.

10. Leaching Process to Increase GFR:

To “extract” some potassium out of the food and into the water, raw or frozen vegetables are soaked in water for at least two hours before being cooked. Because these vegetables still contain a significant amount of potassium after leaching, you should avoid eating them frequently.

Must Avoid from your diets

How to increase GFR, it is important to know that your kidneys can be significantly protected by eating a balanced diet. Some meals are better avoided if you have known kidney impairment since they place extra stress on the kidneys. These include items that are high in sodium, phosphorus, and potassium, such as:

• Bananas
• avocados
• tinned goods
• oranges and orange juice
• soda
• whole-wheat bread
• Brown rice-based condiments
• refined meats
• starches\stomatoes
• packaged food
• dried goods
• green leafy vegetables

Seek medical treatment

To know how to increase GFR, don’t forget to talk to your renal dietitian. These experts can help you. In end-stage kidney disease, your doctor will ask you to do so. They will help you with the best diet for your condition. So, see them before things get that hard. These specialists are called “renal dieticians.”

Your renal dietitian will work with you. They will reduce stress on your kidneys with good food. Your body will get back to normal. They will help you with the proper balance of fluids and minerals in your body. You will need to reduce your sodium.

Takeaway

The answer to how to increase GFR is hard. But it is possible. Speak with your dietician about your diet. The impact your diet will have is the best. It is a natural way to get well. You will need some lifestyle changes as well. They can help your GFR rate. It will lead to better kidney function. Additionally, discuss any new vitamins or medicines with the expert. It will also help you.

Keep your kidneys healthy. Avoid the things that are bad for your kidneys. Make good food choices. You should eat healthy foods. Keep a good fluid intake. Drink good fluids. Keep a check on your BP and sugar. They should be normal.

Frequently asked questions: