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Do you think you’re immune to chronic illnesses because you’re young? Before you even realise it, you might end up battling one. Chronic kidney disease is one such condition, which can silently creep up on you. Living with CKD is not a pleasant experience—persisting symptoms and exhausting medical treatments can leave you feeling overwhelmed and isolated.
So, is there no natural way to ease these burdens? Does the use of probiotics hold promise in supporting kidney health as well? From understanding the stages of CKD to the science connecting gut health and kidney function, this blog explores how introducing probiotics can help with kidney function.
Understanding chronic kidney disease
You've probably heard people mention kidney failure. Beyond the vague notion that their kidneys aren’t functioning right, you might not know what it means and how it can affect your health. So, before you discover how probiotics can help with kidney function, you must familiarise yourself with the intricacies of this condition.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition that affects your kidneys’ ability to filter waste products from the blood. The severity of CKD is often categorised into five stages, with Stage 1 being the mildest and Stage 5 representing kidney failure, which necessitates dialysis or a transplant. The following factors can contribute to the development of CKD:
- Diabetes: Diabetes can lead to kidney damage over time, with high blood sugar harming the blood vessels within the kidneys.
- High blood pressure: Elevated blood pressure puts strain on the kidneys, further diminishing kidney function.
- Autoimmune diseases: In conditions like lupus nephritis, the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the kidneys, thus leading to their damage.
Apart from these factors, heart disease, obesity, smoking, and a family history of kidney issues can increase the risk of developing CKD.
But how do you know if your kidneys are not working properly? In its initial stages, the symptoms are subtle and CKD might go unnoticed. However, you can experience the following symptoms when the condition worsens:
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- Swollen limbs
- Shortness of breath
- Frequent urination
- Foamy urine
If left untreated, CKD can lead to severe complications such as complete kidney failure, which requires medical intervention, and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
As the mortality rate from kidney failure rises, understanding CKD's complexities and exploring management options becomes ever more important. So, let's dive into the promising world of probiotics and how they might just be the game-changer for your kidney health!
The role of probiotics in kidney health
Kidney problems often stem from imbalances within your body, particularly in your gut. The gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of bacteria, plays a crucial role here.
A healthy and balanced gut microbiome helps boost immunity and prevent inflammation. However, this balance gets disrupted due to low-fiber diets, high-protein intake, and certain medications. As a result, the number of harmful bacteria grows more than the number of beneficial bacteria. This imbalance in the microbiome, called dysbiosis, can lead to the increased production of uremic toxins, which damage the kidneys.
Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, help address gut dysbiosis by restoring balance to your gut microbiome. They nourish your gut with beneficial bacteria and suppress the growth of harmful ones. Here’s how probiotics help with kidney function:
- Improving gastrointestinal function: By strengthening gut integrity and reducing pathogen load, probiotics can reduce the burden on the kidneys and slow the progression of CKD.
- Reducing inflammation: Probiotics have anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce inflammation-related damage to your kidneys.
- Modulating immune response: A balanced gut microbiome can help regulate the immune system, reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases that can damage the kidneys.
- Improving nutrient absorption: By enhancing nutrient absorption through a fortified intestinal barrier, probiotics ensure that CKD patients, who often struggle with nutrient deficiencies due to dietary restrictions, maintain better nutritional health.
Are you still not convinced how your gut can influence your health? Watch the below video where an expert shares insights into the topic and how The Good Bug’s probiotics can be a perfect ally for you!
So, let’s rally up to address your gut issues and manage chronic kidney disease with probiotics. But do probiotics stand the test across different stages of CKD? Let's break it down and see where they fit best.
Probiotic effects across different CKD stages
We've all heard the disheartening news from doctors: "It's the advanced stage, and medications may not be as effective." But what if probiotics can help, regardless of the stage of CKD? Let's explore how probiotics can be beneficial at different stages of chronic kidney disease:
- Early stages of CKD: In the initial stages, CKD patients can find promising benefits from probiotics in slowing disease progression by enhancing kidney function and diminishing inflammation. Additionally, they can help regulate blood pressure, a significant risk factor for CKD.
- Advanced CKD: As CKD advances, additional complications like anemia and malnutrition emerge. Here, probiotics offer further advantages by enhancing the absorption of essential nutrients, such as iron and vitamin B12, which are often deficient in people with CKD.
- Dialysis patients: For those undergoing dialysis, the benefits of probiotics become even more palpable. These supplements help lower uremic toxins, leading to improved gut function and a reduced cardiovascular risk profile. They also help regulate uric acid levels, reducing the risk of gout and kidney stones.
Now that you’ve understood that probiotics can help with kidney function, which probiotics should you choose and how to use them?
Choosing and administering probiotics for CKD
Choosing the right probiotic for CKD can be a daunting task. With a plethora of options available, it's essential to select strains that are specifically designed to address the unique needs of individuals with kidney disease.
Several probiotic strains have been studied for their effect on kidney health, especially Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. They’re known for their potential in reducing uremic toxins and improving nutritional status. For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis help improve gastrointestinal symptoms, which can be particularly beneficial for dialysis patients.
However, administering probiotics in CKD presents challenges, primarily due to the following factors:
- Lack of standardised dosages: The appropriate dosage of probiotics can vary depending on individual needs and the severity of CKD, making it challenging to settle on a one-size-fits-all recommendation.
- Differences in the duration of probiotic intervention: The optimal duration of probiotic therapy spans from brief periods to several months. While long-term supplementation might be more advantageous for CKD, more comprehensive clinical data is needed for precise guidelines.
- Survival and efficacy of probiotics: Probiotics must survive the harsh environment of the gastrointestinal tract to reach the colon, where they can exert their beneficial effects.
- Individual variability: The response to probiotic therapy can vary significantly between individuals, depending on factors such as gut microbiome composition, diet, and lifestyle.
So, how do you address this gap in probiotic usage? The solution is to not just rely on probiotics for managing kidney function but rather focus on what you eat as well. Let's dish out some dietary advice that'll complement your probiotic journey.
Dietary recommendations for managing CKD
Probiotics alone cannot reverse the course of CKD; a kidney-friendly diet is equally important.
You can start by limiting the intake of certain nutrients, such as protein, phosphorus, and sodium. High levels of phosphorus and sodium can lead to conditions such as hyperphosphatemia and hypertension, respectively, while excessive protein can overwork kidneys. So, the goal is to complement your probiotic intake with careful dietary choices to improve nutrient absorption and cut down inflammation—a big help when you have CKD.
If you're considering bringing probiotics into your diet, options like Greek yoghurt, kimchi, kombucha, tempeh, kefir, sauerkraut, and miso come to the fore. Each of these foods packs a punch of beneficial bacteria that help populate your gut.
However, any new dietary changes should first be discussed with a healthcare provider, particularly for CKD patients whose existing dietary restrictions and medications require careful management.
Having seen that probiotics can help with kidney function, are you considering integrating them into your daily routine? Reach out to the experts at The Good Bug, as we offer tailored advice and support to make this journey smooth. Contact The Good Bug today and transition to a healthier living with probiotics and prebiotics!
References
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9571670/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6533949/
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20191030/Can-Probiotics-Support-Healthy-Kidney-Function.aspx
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0085253815610067
https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(15)61006-7/fulltext
