Kidneys main function is to eliminate waste from the body. Creatine phosphate in muscle is usually broken down at a fairly constant rate by the body and is eliminated by the kidneys as Creatinine.
If your reports are showing higher creatinine levels then your kidneys are not excreting it sufficiently. If you do not lower creatinine levels, then it can lead to kidney diseases and other complications.
Dehydration is one of the main causes of increased levels of creatinine levels. Certain diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure and even certain drugs taken to control these diseases and other diseases can also raise creatinine levels.
Strenuous exercises, excess protein intake for muscle building or otherwise can also contribute to increase creatinine.
Eating and avoiding certain foods can help you to lower creatinine levels. Food and other home remedies given under will help you to lower your creatinine levels.
You should be alerted if your symptoms include urination frequency changes, high frequency of night urination, decreased urine output or dark urine in addition to nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
Some times you encounter loss of appetiteand shortness of breath. Edema is a warning sign. Consult your doctor and protect your kidneys from further damage.
You certainly need to make many lifestyle changes to quickly correct the condition. What you eat and avoid becomes very important. Certain herbs and foods help lower creatinine from the body and improve kidney functioning.
You have to be careful in taking herbs as some of them may interfere with the medication you may be taking for other conditions. Therefore, it is important to consult your doctors and monitor effectiveness while taking natural remedies.
1. Drink Lots of Water
Dehydration is one of the biggest causes of early rise of creatinine levels. It takes a long time before this increased level damages the kidneys and create other complications.
Therefore it is important to take early remedial actions. Drinking more water is a habit you have to develop. We all forget to drink water even though we may be feeling thirsty. We delay quenching our thirst. Gradually it becomes a habit.
Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. You will go for frequent urination and your urine quantity will increase. These are good signs of regaining health. It will take about 21 days of regular consumption of 8-10 glasses of water daily to become a new habit. You will see a significant impact on the skin also. Itching will reduce if you had any.
2. Barley Water
Barley water works very well as a natural diuretic. It cleanses the kidney. Barley offers many other benefits as well. Fiber rich barley improves digestion, reduces blood sugar levels and reduces blood urea nitrogen (BUN).
You can prepare barley water at home. Add 100 gram of barley to a liter of water and boil it for 30 minutes. Strain the barley water. You can add the boiled barley to your salad. Drink the strained barley water slowly. Drink it two times a day for a week and your creatinine level should come down.
3. Dietary Changes
There are three main aspects you have to take care of while focusing on diet to reduce creatinine levels.
Low Sodium Intake - High sodium contained in the blood increases water retention in the body. This is not good for kidney and overall health. High sodium content also increases blood pressure which is again not good for kidney.
Reduce all your sodium contents. This means you can't eat any fast food (not worth it anyway) and preserved foods.
Reduce Protein Intake - High protein intake increase creatinine levels. Completely stop red meat. Reduce consumption of chicken and other white meat. Plant proteins will do a good job but don't go overboard. Nuts and legumes will suffice.
Reduce Phosphorus Containing foods - Foods such as pumpkin, cheese, fish, shellfish, nuts, pork, low fat dairy products, and soybeans are high in phosphorus contents. Reduce their consumption.
In fact even potassium containing foods can't be handled well by the kidneys, particularly if you have high creatinine levels. However, if your sodium content is high then the potassium containing food will help if you reduce sodium containing foods.
Check with your doctor for the right balancing act. Foods such as dried fruits, bananas, spinach, potatoes, beans, and peas are potassium rich foods, so control their intake.
Though Water melon is also potassium rich, it is good for those who may have high creatinine levels but are not diabetic. Due to its high water content, melon helps as kidney cleanser. Once again check it out with your doctor as there is a lot of debate in favor and against the use of watermelon to reduce creatinine levels.
4. Cinnamon
Cinnamon possesses diuretic properties, therefore its consumption to reduce creatinine levels is recommended. Cinnamon also helps regulate blood sugar levels. This aspect is also favorable as the high blood sugar levels can adversely influence kidney functioning and lead to renal failure.
You can add cinnamon to your hot drinks, smoothies and food items. It adds aroma and taste so you will be happy to consume it. However, don't go overboard. Higher consumption can be toxic. Limit your consumption to a maximum of 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder a day, which is considered a very safe limit.
5. Drink Herbal Teas
Herbal teas such as chamomile tea and green tea can act as diuretics. However, their contribution is limited. These are harmless teas and offer many other benefits. Try it out if it works for you.
Other than food and drinks, you will also have to make many lifestyle changes. All the foods above will help you to excrete more toxins through urine and the lifestyle changes will reduce production of creatinine. Therefore a two way approach must be adopted to reduce the creatinine levels fast.
Vigorous exercise which converts food into energy faster also creates more creatinine. So now you have to see your daily lifestyle and reduce those areas where you have to do vigorous physical activities. Reduce those activities.
Exercise is important for maintaining overall health, but vigorous exercise to build muscles has to be stopped if your creatinine levels are already high.
Take sufficient rest and sleep well to reduce production of creatinine.
With all the above you will be able to control your creatinine level to lead a better life.