33 Home Remedies to Prevent Kidney Failure

by Stephanie Mantle · Published November 11, 2018 · Updated December 10, 2020

Kidney failure is the final stage of chronic kidney disease. Once your kidneys have failed, they’ll stop working and you’ll need to have kidney dialysis in order for the kidney’s function to continue. Eventually, you will need a kidney transplant. If you use these home remedies to prevent kidney failure, then you can avoid a transplant entirely.

Typically, kidney disease if a progressive condition which means that the damage it causes to your kidneys cannot be reversed or undone. This is why it’s so important to diagnose kidney disease in the early stages so that your condition can be treated so that it doesn’t get any worse.

Kidney disease can also increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, so it’s crucial that you get to treat the condition early on.

What Causes Kidney Failure?

Kidney failure is most commonly caused by other pre-existing health conditions which have created permanent damage to your kidneys over time. Diabetes is the most common pre-existing health condition that leads to kidney disease and kidney failure. Other health problems that can lead to kidney failure include the following:

High blood pressure
Nephrotic syndrome
Untreated urinary tract infections and other urinary tract conditions
Autoimmune diseases (for example, lupus)
Genetic conditions (polycystic kidney disease)
Heart attack
Poor circulation of blood in and around the kidneys

Kidney failure may also be caused by drug or alcohol abuse as these can damage the cells in your kidneys and stop them functioning.

Just because you have a pre-existing health condition that increases your risk of kidney disease, doesn’t mean you’ll definitely develop the condition. There are a number of home remedies to prevent kidney failure and many of them require just a simple change to your lifestyle.

Home Remedies to Prevent Kidney Failure

The home remedies in this article can also help to prevent other kidney problems

Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water can help to flush bad bacteria from your body and help to prevent kidney infections which in turn will help lower your risk of kidney disease and kidney failure. It’ll also help to flush out your urinary tract, further reducing your risk of kidney disease. Ideally, you should aim to drink about eight glasses of water a day.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is a well-known home remedy for kidney and urinary tract infections. This is thanks to the potent antioxidant qualities of cranberries which can help fight bacteria and prevent oxidative damage to your kidney cells. By protecting your cells and fighting off infections, cranberry juice helps to lower your risk of kidney failure.

Avoid Alcohol and Coffee

Your kidneys are designed to flush toxins and substances from your body. Alcohol and caffeine both require extra work from the kidneys to flush them out of your body which can slow down their work to clear infections. As a result, drinking lots of either caffeine or alcohol can slow down your kidneys other functions and increase your risk of kidney disease and kidney failure.

It’s best to avoid soda entirely and use alcohol only in moderation

Probiotics

Probiotics have two major benefits when it comes to acting as a home remedy to prevent kidney failure. They help to keep the balance between good and bad bacteria in your body whilst also helping your kidney filter out waste products. Both these benefits help to keep your kidneys functioning properly. As a result, probiotics help to reduce your risk of kidney infections which could lead to kidney disease and kidney failure if left untreated.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is strong antioxidant qualities that help to protect the tissues in your body from oxidative damage. As a result, it helps to promote good kidney health, lowering your risk of kidney disease and kidney failure. You can take daily vitamin C supplements or include more foods like broccoli, spinach, and tomatoes into your diet.

Parsley Juice

Parsley juice is packed full of nutrients which help to increase the frequency of urination and the amount of urine you pass at a time. This helps to flush out infection-causing bacteria out of the body. In doing so, it helps to lower your risk of infections which could potentially cause lasting damage to your kidneys and increase your risk of kidney failure.

Apples and Apple Juice

Apples are another great home remedy to prevent kidney failure because they’re also packed full of helpful nutrients. Their acidic nature helps to maintain the acidity of your urine, which helps to kill off harmful bacteria that may otherwise linger in your urinary tract and cause a urinary tract infection – one of the common causes of kidney disease and kidney failure.

Apples and their juices also have naturally high levels of anti-inflammatory properties which can help to heal your kidneys in the early stages of infection which can further help to lower your risk of kidney failure.

apples, apple juice, prevent kidney failure

If you choose to drink apple juice, make sure it has no added sugars

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is hugely popular as a home remedy for a number of different conditions. You can see many of its health benefits in our past article. Its antibacterial properties make it a great option for tackling kidney infections which, if left untreated, could damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure.

Quit Smoking

Smoking is often linked to high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of kidney disease and kidney failure. Smoking also slows down the flow of blood to your kidneys which prevents them from working properly and worsens any existing kidney disease.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight or obese puts you at a greater risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure – two of the most common causes of kidney failure.

Diet and exercise are both keys to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight

Eat a Healthy Diet

Your kidneys are pretty tough and can tolerate a variety of dietary habits, but the majority of kidney problems are caused by high blood pressure and diabetes which are often caused by poor diets. For this reason, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is a key home remedy to prevent kidney failure.

By eating well, you lower your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure and as a result, reduce your risk of kidney failure. You can improve your diet by eating more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains whilst also cutting down on sugar and excess salt.

Reduce Salt Intake

Sometimes, less is more, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to your salt intake. Cutting excess sodium from your diet can significantly help to lower your risk of chronic high blood pressure – one of the leading causes of kidney failure.

Exercise

Getting regular exercise is a great home remedy to prevent kidney failure because it can prevent you from becoming overweight, lower your risk of diabetes and help you to maintain a healthy blood pressure. All of these factors can increase your risk of kidney failure so by tackling them, you tackle kidney disease too.

Low Potassium Foods

Many dieticians recommend that you choose to eat low potassium food with your meals in order to lower your risk of kidney disease and kidney failure. Examples include apples, cabbage, carrots, grapes, and strawberries.

Lean Proteins

Eating lean protein is often key to a balanced diet which will help you stay generally healthy and lower your risk of kidney disease. Try to include enough vegetables, fruits, and cereals to get your lean protein intake.

Fish and poultry are great examples of healthy lean proteins

Manage Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes is one of the most common causes of kidney failure. early screening and diagnosis are often key to the proper management of diabetes and help you control your blood sugar levels. We have two articles on this topic: one for low blood sugar and one for treating high blood sugar.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has a key role to play in the performance of your immune system. This means that getting enough vitamin D can help you fight off bacterial infections which could otherwise lead to kidney failure. To get your vitamin D intake you could take a daily supplement, safely increase your sun exposure or eat more dairy foods like yogurt and drink more milk.

Be Careful with Painkillers

Some studies have shown that the over-use of painkillers could increase your risk of kidney disease. You should always make sure you follow the instructions on your medication packets or take them as instructed by your doctor. Never exceed the recommended dosage or take them for longer than you need to.

Using too many painkillers can damage the kidneys and other organs

Magnesium

Magnesium helps prevents the formation of kidney stones which could cause damage to your kidneys if left untreated. You can increase your magnesium intake via daily supplements or by eating leafy greens like spinach and kale.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps to reduce calcium-oxalate levels in your blood which limits the amount of oxidative damage to your kidney cells. As a result, it helps to keep your kidneys healthy and lowers the risk of kidney failure.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E works in much the same way as vitamin B6 and works as an equally beneficial home remedy to prevent kidney failure. Try eating more nuts and seeds to take in more of this vitamin.

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera helps to reduce urinary crystals which could otherwise cause urinary tract infections. If left untreated, a urinary tract infection can cause kidney disease and kidney failure so preventing early infections is a huge step in preventing kidney failure.

Helichrysum Essential Oil

Like lemon essential oil, this can also reduce your risk of kidney stones, supporting the kidneys function of detoxification as a result. It can also be added to a glass of water and drunk as a home remedy to prevent kidney disease.

Lemon Juice

Like its essential oil counterpart, lemon juice contains citrate which helps break down calcium deposits. As a result, it can also help to prevent the formation of kidney stones, protecting your kidneys from damage and lowering your risk of kidney failure. Drinking approximately two glasses a day (one in the morning and one before your evening meal) should help.

Make sure you pay attention to what kind of lemon juice you buy though. Many contain just a small amount of pure lemon juice, instead, they get their flavor from artificial sweeteners. This means they could instead increase your risk of kidney stones and kidney failure. Make sure you’re buying pure lemon juice or make it yourself from a fresh batch of lemons.

Fresh lemon juice works best for this home remedy

Basil

Basil contains a number of compounds which help to stabilize the acid levels in your urine and urinary tract. This prevents kidney stones from developing and thus protects your kidney cells from damage, lowering your risk of kidney failure. You can add basil to a number of recipes to include more in your diet.

Wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass juice can help to reduce the levels of salts from your urinary tract which prevents them crystallization and forming kidney stones. It can also help to increase urine production which will flush more bacteria from your body, boosting your immune system and lowering your risk of infection. All of these benefits make wheatgrass juice a great home remedy to prevent kidney failure.

Celery Juice or Seeds

Celery has a high concentration of antioxidants which protects your kidney cells from damage and so reduces your risk of kidney failure. It also helps to increase urine production to flush bacteria from your body and lower your risk of infections which could otherwise increase your risk of kidney disease.

You can easily add extra celery to your diet by finding recipes that use it or adding it to salads, sandwiches or stews. You could also blend a few celery stalks with a little water to create a celery juice which will have the same beneficial effects.

Kidney Bean Broth

Kidney beans are a great source of magnesium, which helps to prevent kidney stones. You can get all the benefits of kidney beans by removing some beans from their pods and boiling them over a period of 5-6 hours. You can then strain the liquid and drink it warm or cool.

Extra-virgin Olive Oil

Extra-virgin olive oil has a thick, rich quality which helps your body pass out kidney stones and reduces the damage they cause to your kidneys.

If you cannot find extra virgin olive oil, other types of olive oil can also be helpful

Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus Terrestris can be made into juices to help lower the levels of phosphate in your body. This reduces the risk of kidney stones and therefore protects your kidneys from damage. It also contains compounds which increase urine production, making it easier to flush bad bacteria out of your urinary tract and reduce your risk of infection.

Every part of the Tribulus Terrestris plant can be consumed raw or you can find supplements made using the plant and take these on a regular basis. A 500mg dosage or one cup of herbal tea made using Tribulus Terrestris should be enough to prevent kidney stones and therefore lower your risk of kidney failure.

Pomegranate Juice

The potent antioxidant properties of pomegranates can help to reduce your risk of developing kidney stones and so helps to protect your kidneys from damage which could otherwise lead to kidney failure. They help to increase the acidity of your urine which makes it harder for kidney stones to form and bacteria to thrive. You can buy whole pomegranates for juicing or eat their seeds as a way to benefits from their kidney healing properties.

Dandelion Extract

Dandelions are packed full of compounds which help to increase your production of urine. This helps pass waste out of the body and reduce your risk of infection. There are a number of ways you can get the benefits of dandelion, which is why it’s such a great home remedy for kidney failure. You could use a dandelion pill (500mg dosage) or use the flowers to make a tea or juice. Three or four cups of tea or juice each day should help decrease your risk of kidney failure.