Kidney Stress and Disease: Coffee and Red Wine
*This article is not medical advice. Before starting on any health related regimen, seek the advice of your Primary Care Physician or an M.D.
Lower Back Pain, Low eGFR, Low Flow
There was an excellent article in the Townsend Newsletter on Chronic Kidney Disease that discussed how some simple supplements have shown significant benefit [1]:
Baking Soda (after two meals a day, .125 to .25 teaspoons).
Niacinamide 250-500mg 2x/day.
Calcium Carbonate (unless you have clostridium issues).
All of the above along with a diet lower in potassium (potatoes, bananas, beans) and phosphorous (beans, oats, cheese, carbonated beverages).
The results they cited were impressive, and I can say some of my clients have shown strong benefits as well.
Many things can stress the kidneys. Heavy metals, infections, detoxification programs, and our good friend mold (mycotoxins) can all cause significant kidney damage.
Coffee and Red Wine
However, low levels of nitric oxide [2], can also cause kidney stress and damage. I will discuss what helps increase eNOS (NOS3) and nitric oxide levels below. Importantly, caffeine inhibits eNOS and thus nitric oxide, so drop it like a bad habit if you can (if even for a few weeks) [3].
What helps increase eNOS (NOS3) ?
Hawthorne
Pomegranate (but also raises TNFA - so watch this)
Citrulline / Arginine
Danshen (extremely potent)
Resveratrol
Sirtuin 1 and Sirtuin 3 also support NOS3 (eNOS), and in high doses, Resveratrol is the king for Sirtuin genes.
In his book “Dirty Genes”, Ben Lynch calls NOS3 the 'heart attack gene' because it is responsible for endothelial and capillary vasodilation - especially in the heart and lungs. And now we know why red wine (which is high in resveratrol) is good for our hearts.
References:
[1] Reversing Chronic Kidney Disease with Niacin and Sodium Bicarbonate. By McConnell, et. al. Townsend Newsletter, Issue 467.
[2] Nitric oxide deficiency in chronic kidney disease. By Chris Baylis. American Journal Of Physiology. Renal Physiology. 01 JAN 2008. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00424.2007.
[3] Caffeine decreases exhaled nitric oxide. By C Bruce et. al. Thorax, Volume 57.