Recently we had someone reach out with a question about CBD and Kidney Disease, and whether or not they could find some relief, by using CBD. With not knowing enough information about Kidney Disease, to be able to give an honest recommendation, we decided to do some investigating. Here we will discuss what we found, but first let’s go over what your kidneys are, and what their function within the body is.
What are your kidneys?
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. Your kidneys are located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine.
What do they do?
The main job of kidneys is to help keep your body chemistry in balance all the time. To do this, kidneys:
Make Urine – Your kidneys make urine to get rid of wastes and extra water. Wastes come from some foods, breaking down medicines, and even just moving your muscles.
Balance Minerals – Your muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and bones need precise amounts of minerals in your blood all the time. Kidneys are able to sense the levels of minerals in your blood, holding onto what you need, and sending the rest to your bladder, as urine.
Control Blood Pressure – Kidneys keep water and salt(s) in balance in your blood. They make an enzyme (renin) that helps your blood vessels tense up to raise your blood pressure if it drops too low. High blood pressure can harm kidneys and cause Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) or, CKD can cause high blood pressure. Much like the chicken and the egg, it can be hard to tell which came first.
Help You Make Red Blood Cells – Each cell in your body needs oxygen to live, and red blood cells bring it. If you have too few red blood cells (anemia), your kidneys send out a hormone (erythropoietin, or EPO). EPO tells your bone marrow to make more red blood cells. Kidneys that don’t work well make less EPO.
Keep Your Bones Strong – You need the right level of calcium in your blood all the time to live. Your bones are a “storage bank” for calcium and phosphorus. When you need more blood calcium, the kidneys send out a hormone. Active vitamin D is a hormone that lets your gut absorb calcium from foods. If the hormone signal does not work, your body will pull calcium out of your bones, which can cause them to become weak and more likely to break.
Help Keep Acid and Base Balance in Your Body – The pH in your body is close to neutral, but may be a little alkaline, or base (7.38 to 7.42). A pH that is too high or too low can be fatal. Kidneys work with your lungs to keep the right pH level.
Now that we have a better understanding of the kidneys, and their purpose, lets take a look at Kidney Disease, and what it actually is.
What is Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease, or renal disease is the damage to; or disease of a kidney. Kidney disease usually causes a loss of kidney function to some degree and can ultimately result in kidney failure. Kidney failure is the complete loss of kidney function, also known as the end-stage of kidney disease. At this point, dialysis or a kidney transplant becomes the only treatment option. Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S.
While not enough research has been done into the benefits of CBD and kidney disease, there are a few benefits that could be associated with CBD. This disease is plagued with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sleep problems, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, swelling of feet and ankles, and chronic pain. All of which, many people have found relief from while using CBD.
So, while it is difficult to say whether or not CBD could help with the prevention or management of kidney disease, it is believed that it could help with the side effects often associated with the diagnosis, and treatment of this disease.
Do you or someone you know suffer from kidney disease? Are you interested in giving CBD a try? Check out our full list of products by clicking here.
Read our previous blog: Melatonin – What is it? by clicking here.
