Protect Your Kidney with the help of Ayurveda

The kidneys have important tasks to perform in the human system. These are (i) regulation of the volume of the body fluids, (ii) elimination of inorganic ions both cations (e.g. Na+, K+) or anions (e.g. Cl', phosphate, SO4) from the body, (iii) maintenance of appropriate plasma concentration of non-electrolytes such as glucose and urea, (iv) maintaining electrolyte balance by H+ and OH- ions and thus adidity or alkalinity of the blood, (v) elimination of waste products especially the nitrogen and sulphur containing substances as well as the toxic substances (e.g. drugs) which have entered the body, and (vi) retention of substances vital to body economy. These also have some more functions. Major diseases or Kidney disorders are Anuria or oliguria (complete to cessation or less formation of urine), polyuria (frequent passage of small quantities of urine), abnormal constituents in urine (e.g. blood, pus etc.), Nephritis, pyelitis (inflamanation of the parenchyma & pelvis of the Kidney) uraemia (i.e. renal failure causing retention of abnormal amounts of urea in the blood), renal colic due to calculus or such other condition, Dysuria (painfull passage of urine).

A simple Urine test for Albumin and a Blood test for Serum Creatinine. The increased level of Albumin and Serum Creatinine will tell if the kidneys are getting effected. Other symptoms which show kidney problems are: High Blood Pressure, Decreased Hoemoglobin and High Blood Urea.

Causes of Kidney Damage:
Basically human health miseries could be attributed to

• (i) abnormalities in anatomical and physiological level,
• (ii) interaction or stress of biotic factors (various in fections),
• (iii) Abiotic stress which includes Ahar, Vihar and Achar,
• (iv) mental imbalance due to predominence of tamsik and rajsik bhavas rather than Sattvik and
• (v) easy entry of microvita owing to suitability of mental and physical bodies.

Besides above a new dimension is added by adverse side effects of modern allopathic medicines. Most probably this is due to administering active ingredients in pure form. This certainly provides quick action but at the same time damages the system in other ways. The crude medication system of Ayurveda allows the human system to assimilate the active ingredient as well as some related compounds in a natural way and thus avoids any such bad effects on the system. One of the potent causes of increasing incidences of kidney disorders, today, is the side effects of modern medicines or wrong medication or over dosages in certain cases.

Ayurvedic Care & Cure of Kidney

Useful Herbs in Kidney Treatment

• (i) Dry fruits : Pistachio, almonds and chilgoja are useful to tone up weak kidneys,
• (ii) fresh fruits: Mango is beneficial to remove weakness of Kidneys. Fresh pine apple 60 g daily is useful for the cure of Kidney stone.
• Flacourtia ramonohii L. (Governor's apple or Kantai) bark is astringent and diuretic.
• Cordia myxa Roxb. (Lisora) fruits are poison antidote and diuretic, its decoction relieves painful micturition.
• Coconut water is very efficacous in urinary troubles.
• Eugenia jambolana Lamk : Stones of fruits are very useful to relieve diabetes and polyurea.
• Punica granatum Linn. (Pomegranate): Outer fruit skin dried in shade, powdered and taken 4g with water twice a day for 10 days cures polyurea. Rice food must be avoided.
• Banana (Musa sepientum) : Take a banana fruit and 25 ml juice of amla with sugar cures urinary and spleen troubles.
• Phyllanthus emblica L.( Aunla or Amla) : Juice of green fruits 50 g with 20 g honey given 2-3 times during the day cures urinary troubles.
• Bel : Take fresh pulp of ripe bel (Aegle marmelos L.) and mix with water, add some milk and sugar to it, drink after straining. This will relieve retention of urine in no time.
• Grape (Vitis vinifera): Take three raisins and remove their seeds then enclose one black pepper in each of them. These should be taken at bed time for a few days continuously to cure strangury (urination by drops).

B. Vegetables:

• (i) Leafy : Punarnava (Borhavia diffusa), Palak (Spinacia oleracea L), Corchorus capsularis L., (calsak), Patua sak (Corchorus olitorius L.), Portulacar oleracea L. (Kulfa or Lona Sag), chuka (Rumex vesicarius L.), Ramdana (Amaranthus caudatus L.).
• (ii) Fruits: Sanke cucumber (Cucumis utilissimus Roxb.) Seeds are efficacious in curing urinary and kidney diseases. Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschaxa L.) : Pulp is slightly warmed after crushing and then applied to relieve painful kidney problems. Similarly seeds of Cucumis melo Linn. (Muskmelon or Kharbuja) and Kheera (Cucumis sativus Linn.) are efficacious in urinary troubles. Water melon (Tarbuj) fruit juice with kalmisora and sugar placed overnight in glass tumbler in the moonlit night and taken first in the morning for about 7 days. It is very beneficial in urinary problems. Lauki (water gourd): Juice & pulp with Kalmisora very efficacious in relieving kidney and urinary troubles.
• (iii) Root vegetables:
  1. Carrot (Daucus carota L.) fruit juice cures kidney troubles.
  2. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.): Leaves & small sized roots are efficacious to effect cure.
  3. Alocasia indica (Roxb.) Schott. Mankand use of corms is beneficial in the form of vegetable.
  4. Onion (Allium cepa L.) juice of bulb is beneficial.
• (iv) Flowers of red variety of Moringa i.e. Sahanjan is highly efficacious as cure of kidney disorders.