Your kidneys are only about the size of a fist, but they perform several jobs that are essential for life.
They filter waste and extra water from the blood, help control blood pressure, balance important minerals, and make hormones involved in red blood cell production and bone health. What you drink can influence this work, especially over many years.
For most healthy people, water is the best everyday drink for the kidneys. Water gives the kidneys enough fluid to remove waste through urine and helps reduce dehydration.
Not drinking enough can make urine more concentrated and may increase the risk of kidney stones in some people.
Research published in Nephrology has examined the relationship between fluid intake and kidney health.
Some studies suggest that adequate hydration may be associated with a lower risk of certain kidney problems, although simply drinking huge amounts of water does not provide extra protection. How much a person needs depends on body size, activity, climate, diet, pregnancy, and medical conditions.
People with heart failure or advanced kidney disease may actually need to limit fluids, so the familiar advice to drink eight glasses every day does not fit everyone. For most healthy adults, thirst and pale-yellow urine are useful general guides. Extra water is often needed during hot weather, exercise, or illness that causes fluid loss.
Lemon water can be useful for people who are prone to some kidney stones. Lemons contain citrate, which can bind with calcium in urine and make certain stones less likely to form. Research published in The Journal of Urology has investigated lemonade and other citrus-based drinks as ways to increase urinary citrate.
Cranberry products are better known for their possible role in preventing urinary tract infections than for directly improving kidney function. A review published in Advances in Nutrition reported evidence that cranberry products may reduce repeated urinary infections in some groups. Preventing these infections matters because a severe infection can sometimes travel upward and affect the kidneys.
However, cranberry juice is not necessary for everyone, and many commercial versions contain large amounts of added sugar. People who choose it should generally look for lower-sugar options. Anyone with a history of kidney stones or who takes medicines that may interact with cranberry products should ask a health professional for advice.
Milk and plant-based drinks can also fit into a kidney-friendly diet for people with healthy kidneys. But their potassium and phosphorus content varies widely. People with chronic kidney disease sometimes need to control these minerals because damaged kidneys may have difficulty removing excess amounts from the blood.
Herbal teas deserve more caution than their healthy image sometimes suggests. Products containing ginger, dandelion, nettle, and other herbs are often promoted for “detoxing” the kidneys, but evidence for these claims is limited. Some herbs can interact with medicines, change fluid or mineral levels, or even harm the kidneys when used in large amounts.
At the other end of the spectrum are drinks that provide large amounts of sugar with little nutritional value. Regular soft drinks, sweetened teas, energy drinks, and sugary fruit drinks can contribute to weight gain and type 2 diabetes, two major risk factors for chronic kidney disease. Research in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology has also linked some patterns of sugary drink consumption with a greater risk of kidney disease.
Dark cola drinks may contain phosphorus additives, but this does not mean an occasional cola directly damages healthy kidneys. The bigger concern is a diet that regularly contains large amounts of sugary, highly processed drinks. For people who already have kidney disease, phosphorus, potassium, sugar, and fluid intake may all require closer attention.
For most people, kidney-friendly drinking is surprisingly simple. Make water the main drink, use citrus drinks without large amounts of added sugar when appropriate, and keep sugary beverages as occasional choices.
People with kidney disease, kidney stones, diabetes, or heart problems should follow individual advice from their doctor or dietitian because the healthiest fluid plan can be very different from one person to another.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about the harm of vitamin D deficiency, and Mediterranean diet may preserve brain volume in older adults.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods to naturally lower high blood pressure, and a simple breakfast switch can help control type 2 diabetes.
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