Normally our body is allowed to have some amount of protein in the urine, but when the amount goes in excess, it is a sign that your kidneys are not healthy. Having too much protein in your urine means your kidneys are not safely eliminating unwanted waste and toxins from the blood.
What if proteinuria?
Just like fat and sugar, some type of proteins also stays in your blood. When your kidney’s filters are working, they only filter tiny amounts of protein into the urine as large molecules of protein cannot pass through them. There can be various types of proteins that can be found in the urine, but the most important protein that your kidney needs is albumin. Albumin does so many important functions for the kidneys and one of them includes maintaining the level of fluid and electrolyte in the body. In the absence of protein, your bones would not be strong enough to let you feel at your best. Losing proteins from your blood is also called albuminuria because of the presence of albumin in the urine.
Does having albumin in the urine means you have kidney disease?
Having albumin in your urine can be an early sign of some kidney problem. Consult your healthcare provider who will check proteinuria with the help of a test. There could possibly be some other reason as well such as dehydration or not drinking enough water or excess consumption of protein. If a doctor suspects some kidney disease, then urine and kidney tests are conducted to confirm the condition. Sometimes proteinuria is present when urinating while standing, but not when lying down. Thus, a doctor performs repeat test to know how well your kidneys are working and whether you need proteinuria treatment in Ayurveda or not. Along with the blood test and urine test, your doctor will also do:
• Imaging tests: An ultrasound or CT scan of your kidneys helps to get a clear picture of the urinary tract. An Imaging test will also reveal kidney stones or other problems.
• A kidney biopsy: A kidney biopsy is done through a sample tissue of your kidneys. The test helps to reveal what cause the kidney damage and how much your kidneys are damaged.
What are the causes of proteinuria?
Some conditions do not allow the kidneys to hold protein and this causes a protein leak from the blood. These conditions may temporarily put up the level of protein, but may not signify any kidney disease.
Conditions that can cause temporary protein include:
• Emotional stress
• Dehydration
• Fever
• Exercise
Conditions that indicate kidney damage include:
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Nephrotic syndrome
• Over consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Endocarditis
• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
• Glomerulonephritis
• High blood pressure
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• IgA nephropathy
• Kidney infection
• Lupus
• Malaria
• Multiple myeloma
• Orthostatic proteinuria
• Preeclampsia during pregnancy
A Healthy diet for proteinuria
A diet about improving kidney function includes foods and habits that help to prevent various risk factors associated with proteinuria. If diabetes or high blood pressure is the factor that caused you proteinuria, the diet should have low sugar, fat, and cholesterol level foodstuffs. Not controlling blood sugar and blood pressure will impact your kidneys and heart and may even increase the risk of acute renal failure. Further, excess consumption of protein is also related to proteinuria, and so it should be eaten in a restricted way. A renal diet is an important part of the proteinuria ayurvedic treatment and hence, should be followed by a kidney patient.
• Low carbs: Carbohydrates are a source of sugar and calories. If someone has diabetic kidney disease then eating low carbs is mandatory for them. When you eat more protein, the fat may also build-up in the blood which increases the risk of having a heart attack. A balanced diet should not have more than 50% of carbs in it.
• Protein: As protein is vital for your muscle, a kidney-friendly diet should have protein in the amount actually needed for a better kidney function. When your kidneys are damaged, they have a difficult time removing large molecules of protein through the filters. When your kidneys are damaged, they cannot eliminate a large amount of protein and this causes a spike in the level of protein in the urine. For this, a kidney patient should not eat meat, dairy products, and egg whites instead switch to organic protein products.
• Vegetables and fruits: To a kidney patient, a doctor always suggests taking vegetables and fruits that are healthy for the kidneys. This may include fruits like berries, apple, watermelon; while vegetables including bitter gourd, apple gourd, and green pumpkin. You can also leach vegetables before actually consuming them which means draining the excess of potassium after soaking.
• A renal diet: A kidney-friendly diet is one that has low sodium, potassium, and protein in it. To be cautious of your nutrients intake, you can read the labels before buying food products, avoid processed or canned foods, and leach fruits and vegetables before consuming.
Karma Ayurveda is an ayurvedic kidney treatment provider in Delhi, India. Since 1937, Karma Ayurveda has been providing ayurvedic solutions to kidney patients and helping them come out of the disease. It is the efforts of Doctor Puneet Dhawan that has allowed thousands of patients to restore the health of the damaged kidneys. The herbs in the ayurvedic treatment tend to cure various kidney-related ailments and proteinuria is one of them.
If you also want a treatment for yourself, then reach us!