4 New Remedies for CKD: Baking Soda, Fruit, Melatonin, Fish Oil

on Aug 06, 2022| Modified on Jan 06, 2024

I noticed that EC could use more remedies for Chronic Kidney Disease, so I am adding four new ones to the list: Sodium Bicarbonate, fruits and vegetables, Melatonin, and Fish Oil.

Chronic Kidney disease (CKD) is very common, with more than 1 in 7 or 15% of US adults having CKD, and 9 of 10 adults with CKD are not even aware that they have it.

https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/ckd-national-facts.html#:~:text=CKD Is Common Among US Adults&text=More than 1 in 7, are estimated to have CKD.&text=As many as 9 in, not know they have CKD.

Here is a quote from this CDC article:

  • More than 1 in 7, that is 15% of US adults or 37 million people, are estimated to have CKD.*
  • As many as 9 in 10 adults with CKD do not know they have CKD.
  • About 2 in 5 adults with severe CKD do not know they have CKD.

What Causes CKD?

Diabetes and High Blood Pressure are the most common causes of CKD.

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/causes#:~:text=Diabetes and high blood pressure, type of treatment you receive.

Other causes of CKD include the following:

  • A genetic disorder that causes many cysts to grow in the kidneys is polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
  • an infection
  • a drug that is toxic to the kidneys
  • a disease that affects the entire body, such as diabetes or lupus nephritis NIH externalis the medical name for kidney disease caused by lupus
  • IgA glomerulonephritis
  • disorders in which the body’s immune system attacks its own cells and organs, such as Anti-GBM (Goodpasture's) disease
  • heavy metal poisoning, such as lead poisoning NIH external link
  • rare genetic conditions, such as Alport syndrome NIH external link
  • hemolytic uremic syndrome in children
  • IgA vasculitis
  • renal artery stenosis

How Serious is CKD?

CKD can range from a mild condition with no or few symptoms to a very serious condition where the kidneys stop working, sometimes called kidney failure.

Most people with CKD will be able to control their condition with medicine and regular check-ups. CKD only progresses to kidney failure in around 1 in 50 people with the condition

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/#:~:text=CKD can range from a medicine and regular check-ups.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of CKD?

Later stages of CKD

Several symptoms can develop if kidney disease is not found early or it worsens despite treatment.

Symptoms can include:

  • weight loss and poor appetite
  • swollen ankles, feet or hands – as a result of water retention, edema
  • shortness of breath
  • tiredness
  • blood in your urine
  • an increased need to urinate – particularly at night
  • difficulty sleeping /insomnia
  • itchy skin
  • muscle cramps
  • feeling sick
  • headaches
  • erectile dysfunction in men

This stage of CKD is known as kidney failure, end-stage renal disease, or established renal failure. It may eventually require treatment with dialysis.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kidney-disease/symptoms/

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

One of the simplest remedies that work against CKD and can slow progression is Sodium Bicarbonate, as outlined in the following study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2736774/

Here is a relevant quote from the study:

This is the first randomized, controlled clinical study in which oral sodium bicarbonate supplementation was associated with positive effects in both primary and secondary endpoints in patients with CKD. Sodium bicarbonate supplementation slowed the rate of decline of renal function as assessed by CrCl to 1 ml/min per yr compared with >2.5 ml/min per yr in untreated control patients. It also significantly reduced the number of patients who progressed to ESRD. These beneficial effects were clinically meaningful. The adverse event profile of both groups was similar. The anticipated adverse effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation were worsening hypertension and edema as a result of sodium retention. There was no effect on BP or evidence of worsening edema as assessed clinically at every clinic consultation.

Fruits and Vegetables

In the following study, it is shown that fruit and vegetables, as well as Sodium Bicarbonate, are both helpful in reducing metabolic acidosis in CKD. Since both were effective at decreasing kidney damage and work through different methods of action, the two combined may have synergy to fight CKD. Unfortunately, they did not include a third arm to the study that received both simultaneously to determine whether they have synergy.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3586961/

Here is a useful quote from the study:

Plasma cystatin C–calculated eGFR did not differ at baseline and 1 year between groups. One-year PTCO2 was higher than baseline in the HCO3 group (21.2±1.3 versus 19.5±1.5 mM; P<0.01) and the fruits and vegetables group (19.9±1.7 versus 19.3±1.9 mM; P<0.01), consistent with improved metabolic acidosis, and was higher in the HCO3 than the fruits and vegetable group (P<0.001). One-year urine indices of kidney injury were lower than baseline in both groups. Plasma [K+] did not increase in either group.

This November 2020 study further confirms Sodium Bicarbonate's value in the treatment of CKD. It attempts to evaluate its different methods of action that are beneficial for CKD as well as for acidosis:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7792697/

Here is a relevant quote from the study:

Both clinical and basic science research has demonstrated beneficial effects of NaHCO3 on slowing kidney functional decline. A number of potential pathways through which alkali loading may protect the kidney, including both renal compensatory responses and extrarenal mechanisms, have been identified.

Melatonin

Another beneficial supplement that I have mentioned before as being useful for multiple health conditions, including CKD is melatonin, as discussed in the following study:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-018-0186-2

Here is an important quote from the study:

The intrarenal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is one of the most important contributors in the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and hypertension, independent of the circulating RAS, due to sodium reabsorption and inflammation and fibrosis in the kidney. However, the relationship between melatonin secretion and intrarenal RAS activation has remained unknown. It has been recently shown that impaired nighttime melatonin secretion is associated with nighttime urinary angiotensinogen excretion, a surrogate marker of intrarenal RAS activation and renal damage in patients with CKD. Moreover, it has also been indicated that melatonin administered exogenously exercises antioxidant effects that ameliorate intrarenal RAS activation and renal injury in chronic progressive CKD animal models. As a result, the new roles of melatonin in suppressing RAS in the kidney via amelioration of reactive oxygen species have been clarified. Therefore, we review the relationship between melatonin and intrarenal RAS activation and indicate the possibility of a new strategy to suppress CKD, which is a risk factor for cardiovascular and end-stage renal diseases.

The following rat study suggests that melatonin may reduce CKD-related hypertension, which could be considered a negative health cycle that melatonin may ameliorate. Very interestingly, it is thought that melatonin can do this via gut microbiome manipulation!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8388963/

Here is a relevant quote from the study:

In this first adenine-induced pediatric CKD model, melatonin protected young rats from CKD-induced hypertension related to alterations of gut microbes involved in the TMA–TMAO pathway. The ADMA–NO pathway was also involved in CKD-induced hypertension. Providing a greater understanding of the alterations of gut microbiota and the derived metabolites that underlie CKD-induced hypertension, along with the beneficial effects of melatonin on protection from hypertension, our results can aid in preventing childhood hypertension and CKD progression.

Fish Oil for CKD

I will discuss one more significant consideration for CKD: Fish Oil (FO).

In the following study, it is suggested that FO may be beneficial when it comes to CKD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5251198/#:~:text=In sum, omega-3 fatty, the progression of this disease.

Here is a relevant quote from the meta-analysis, and being a meta-analysis, it carries a bit more weight than just an individual study:

In sum, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation is associated with a significantly reduced risk of end-stage renal disease and delays the progression of this disease.

In the following study, it is determined that FO reduces the pruritus (itchy skin) that is often seen in CKD, as well as associated inflammation:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9229849/

Here is a relevant quote from the study:

Omega-3 PUFA supplementation improved inflammation, renal function, cardiovascular parameters, dry skin conditions, and the consequent symptoms of pruritus in hemodialysis patients.

It is important to note in the above study that these patients are already on dialysis.

In this last study regarding FO and CKD, they reach a very interesting conclusion that seems enticing toward the use of FO for CKD:

https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/520027

Here is a relevant quote from the study:

There may be an inverse relation between dietary omega-3 PUFA intake and all-cause mortality in patients with CKD. Therefore, an increase in dietary omega-3 PUFA may be encouraged for clinical use in patients with CKD.

So, these are four options for consideration in CKD, which I would like to add to the Earth Clinic's list of remedies. There are others worth consideration, but these four are inexpensive, readily available over the counter, and have shown themselves to be active or useful against CKD and related health issues in studies. At the same time, all four have very good safety profiles.

Art


About The Author

Art Solbrig is a researcher who has been reading scientific studies and testing natural remedies for over 30 years, searching for useful studies and alternatives that apply positively to human health issues and natural treatments using minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential oils, herbs, homeopathy, colloidal silver, combination treatments, and other alternatives to improve the quality of life of others by writing about his findings and test results in places like Earth Clinic. He documents and writes about many of his experiences in helping others. Art is a native of sunny California.

Related Links:

Natural Kidney Stone Remedies: Pain Relief & Prevention
Natural Remedies for a Kidney Infection
Natural Remedies to Prevent Kidney Disease




Article Updates

1 User Review
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Posted by Art (California) on 10/09/2023 2119 posts
★★★★★

Natural Remedies for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Update 10/9/2023

To add further to the original article on CKD, I would like to include magnesium as being useful for CKD. In the following study, it is suggested that magnesium is also beneficial in the fight against CKD :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10484355/

Here is a relevant quote from the multi study review :

' Magnesium acts as a cofactor for antioxidant enzymes, directly scavenges reactive oxygen species, and enhances the expression of antioxidant proteins. Furthermore, magnesium exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine production and inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathways. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce oxidative stress markers and improve antioxidant enzyme activities in clinical studies. Additionally, magnesium has been found to mitigate renal fibrosis, maintain tubular integrity and function, improve endothelial function, and modulate renal hemodynamics. '

Using a bioavailable form of magnesium seems appropriate. Magnesium glycinate is a bioavailable form as is magnesium citrate. Constipation is common in kidney disease and magnesium citrate is helpful for relieving constipation. If constipation is not an issue, then magnesium glycinate might be a better choice because it is a form of magnesium that is much less likely to cause diarrhea. Magnesium also helps to reduce glucose levels which would be useful in diabetic nephropathy (DN).

In any case, magnesium would be a good addition to the other supplements I mentioned for CKD. This is the current supplement list:

1. Melatonin and or earlier morning and later afternoon sun exposure

2. Fruits and Vegetables

3. Sodium Bicarbonate / Baking Soda

4. Fish Oil

5. Magnesium

Art

Replied by peter
(chicago)
10/10/2023

Thanks you very much Art.

Art
(California)
10/10/2023
2119 posts

I was hoping you would see that, Peter!

Art

Peter
(Chicago)
10/10/2023

Art, give you update on my wife's gout, week one doctor prescribed 20mg 5 days prednisone to stop the pain, but it came back week 2 another prednisone treatment. Our family doctor came back this week 3 and prescribed similar (6,5,4,3 2,1) taper off version.

The pain was so bad at the week one I had to gave her 2 treatments of naproxen and I did not want to do that because of her kidney issue. She was crying thru out the night. That is when my friend 's sister, she is a doctor wrote the prescription. I thank you for your great idea on topical naproxen/alcohol topical that was effective until our family doctor back in town. I will add GSE to her daily remedy. Thanks for your concern and being a great human being. I wish there was way for people to communicate with you through phone call. Prednisone caused her sugar very high and had to control with insulin pen, but the trade off is worth it because the pain is so awful. Thanks for your time.

Art
(California)
10/11/2023
2119 posts

Peter,

Thank you for saying that and thank you for the update! I am glad the topical naproxen was effective for her severe gout pain! It is probably a good idea to keep that on hand for pain management since in your wife's case, it avoids systemic usage of naproxen and the spray makes application very easy. I'm glad you didn't use the aspirin as that could make it worse.

The GSPE should help to reduce the elevated uric acid level, that can occur in diabetics and cause gout. I don't know if you ever started her on a bioavailable form of magnesium such as magnesium glycinate for the diabetes as discussed in the recent diabetes article, but magnesium is also beneficial for kidney disease as I mentioned, but it is also beneficial for lowering the elevated uric acid level (hyperuricemia) that causes gout as discussed here :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872714/

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' Our results indicated that increased magnesium intake was associated with decreased hyperuricemia risk. It also indicated the importance of recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of magnesium and the potential function of magnesium intake in the prevention of hyperuricemia. '

So in this case, magnesium is a "threefer", it helps relieve elevated glucose levels and improves insulin function in diabetes, it helps improve kidney disease :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10484355/

and it helps reduce elevated uric acid levels in gout!

Just getting the RDA of magnesium from food and or supplement should be sufficient and agreeable with her doctor.

Art

Peter
(chicago)
10/12/2023

Art,

Thanks Art!

Is one better than the other? promoted by Sugar Doctor in YouTube

Dihydroberberine vs berberine

My wife has been using below Mag Glyicinate, is this brand ok? or Please recommend.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B6CTYD6S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Art
(California)
10/13/2023
2119 posts

Peter,

When you look at the label of the supplement you purchased, it shows that there is 400 mg of magnesium glycinate and 60 mg of magnesium (as magnesium glycinate) which is only 14.29% of the daily value.

This is highly misleading because it tends to make a person think that they are getting 400 mg of magnesium which is approximately the daily value of magnesium for men. In fact, you are only getting 60 mg of magnesium. Since the daily value for women is 320 mg, your wife would have to take 5 of these capsules per day just to get to 300 mg and would have to get the remainder of the RDA from the foods she eats. If she is only taking one capsule per day, that would not be enough to help her glucose level, kidneys, heart, PN or gout.

To further confuse the issue, they say, 'Serving Size 1 Capsule'. This could lead you to think you are only supposed to take one capsule per day.

What matters is the total elemental magnesium that you are getting per day.

For comparison, look at this label on another magnesium glycinate product :

As you can see from this label, each capsule delivers 90 mg of actual magnesium, so your wife would need to take 3 capsules in order to get 270 mg of magnesium and then get the remainder (50 mg) from her food intake to reach the RDA of 320 mg day for women. You can see at the top of the label it says to take 1 to 3 capsules per day. Imo, this label is more accurate than the label on the product you mentioned, because it clearly lets you know how much magnesium you get per capsule and it lets you know that you can take up to three capsules per day.

The magnesium glycinate that I take gives 120 mg of magnesium per capsule, so I take 3 capsules per day for a total of 360 mg of magnesium and then get the remainder from my food to reach the RDA for men of 400 mg to 420 mg/day.

Assuming that your wife has only been taking 1 capsule per day delivering just 60 mg of magnesium, I think moving the dose closer to the RDA for women will start to help her see the three previously mentioned benefits that magnesium has shown in studies. Spreading the dose over the day should be most effective.

Peter, when it comes to supplemental magnesium, imo, the labels could be much clearer than they currently are. I get that manufacturers are trying to make their product sound best in a very competitive field, but realistic recommendations on those labels would be highly useful for all of us end users!

Regarding Berberine and Dihydroberberine, I do not recommend Dihydroberberine because imo, it has insufficient studies to support its use whereas berberine has plenty of studies and of course, Dihydroberberine costs more. When there are more studies in humans to clearly show that Dihydroberberine is superior to berberine over longer term studies, then I will agree, but not until then. I'm not interested in being a guinea pig for dihydroberberine.

Berberine is proven effective for many health issues including gout, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, liver health, diabetic retinopathy and kidney disease to name a few benefits. These would all be important for your wife! If it ain't broke, do we really need to fix it?

Art

peter
(chicago)
10/19/2023

Art

I just ordered the corrected magnesium. Thanks a million!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058HWV9S

Art
(California)
10/19/2023
2119 posts

Peter,

The magnesium glycinate that you have is probably fine, it just takes more capsules per day, so you might as well have her use it up at the corrected dose rather than letting it go to waste.

Art

Replied by peter
(chicago)
10/19/2023

ferrous sulfate atten Art

Ferrous sulfate, my wife is currently on this iron pill. I have read that it has too many side effects. Do you have something else you can recommend?

Art
(California)
10/19/2023
2119 posts

Peter,

That is considered as effective for anemia. What side effects is she having from taking it?

Art

IntegrativeNurse
(California)
10/24/2023

Hi Peter,

If there is one thing you do, please stop your wife's iron supplement and encourage her to take trace minerals instead. I use Aussir Trace minerals but there are many out there.
There is a direct relationship between iron overload and gout. If she is appearing “anemic” on labs, that likely is because she is out of iron homeostasis.
Uric acid is an antioxidant. Arise in your acid means that there is a rise in iron induced oxidative stress. Her body may be producing excess uric acid just to come back the iron that is not free-floating in the blood, so it would not be picked up on a blood test, but it is rusting inside of her cells. She likely has overproduction of iron stored in her tissues. This is not something you can easily test for it unless you do a biopsy or HTMA.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10616042/

What's her diet like? Is she eating any processed food whatsoever? If so, our body is riddled with excess iron. Nearly all of our processed food, milk, grains are fortified with iron oxide. It's toxic stuff.

what is her stress level like? I think you are definitely on the right track with supplementing magnesium. I would encourage you to take at least 400 mg of magnesium in glyconate in the evening. During the day she can take magnesium three and eight or magnesium taurate or magnesium malate. Also 400 mg. She can also rub it on her skin as an oil or as a spray, and she should be taking Epson salt baths. in order to bring her body back into homeostasis with her minerals, she should absolutely be taking some sort of an adrenal cocktail if under any stress, then whole vitamin C every day multiple times a day whether it's to her food or a supplement. Not ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbate! Whole food, vitamin C.

Peter
(Chicago)
10/24/2023

Thank you very much!

Replied by Arlene
(Fort Wayne, IN)
12/14/2023

Can you please share the amount that should be taken? Thanks!

Art
(California)
12/14/2023
2119 posts

Hi Arlene, The daily dose of magnesium for women is 310 - 320 mg of magnesium while the dose for men is 400 - 420 mg of magnesium per day. What you have to keep in mind is that this is the actual amount of magnesium you are getting minus whatever has been added to it . As a basic example, Magnesium glycinate is a popular option for magnesium, but often times manufacturers include the glycinate and the magnesium total on the front of the label, but only give you the breakdown in the fine print on the back of the label. Here is a link to a typical product on Amazon :

Https://www.amazon.com/Magnesium-Glycinate-Capsules-Chelated-Purified/dp/B0C88BJYX2/ref=sr_1_8?crid=26OUAC9YENDL1&keywords=magnesium+glycinate&qid=1702578049&rdc=1&sprefix=magnesium+glycinate,aps,149&sr=8-8

Open the link and you can see on the front of the label it says " Magnesium Glycinate Capsules 500mg " which may lead a person to believe that just one capsule will give you more than the daily requirement of magnesium. When you open the window that shows the back of the label, you see that each capsule only contains 90 mg of actual magnesium. The rest is the glycinate component. So with this particular product, a woman would need to take 3 capsules for a total of 270 mg of magnesium and make up the difference from magnesium derived from food intake to reach the 310 - 320mg/day. A man would have to take 4 capsules of this product to get 360 mg of actual magnesium and make up the difference through food containing magnesium. One capsule of this product would not be very helpful for the intended purpose. I hope this was clear to you because these sellers seem to go out of their way to make things not very clear when it comes to magnesium supplements! Art

Replied by Caseyruth
(Alabama)
01/05/2024

I am about to start the magnesium glycinate for CKD stage 3a and I am a clean eater. I was wondering if anyone's heard of astragalus supplement to help heal the kidneys.

Art
(California)
01/06/2024
2119 posts

Hi Caseyruth,

The following study may be of interest to you :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8921640/

Here is a relevant quote :

Our results suggest that there is eGFR improvement after taking astragalus-containing preparations in mild to moderate CKD cases as reported previously. The findings should be considered with caution due to major limitations such as small sample size without optimum control, short follow-up period, and incomplete data. Further adequately powered and designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of the long-term use of astragalus root in patients with mild to moderate CKD.

Art

Art
(California)
01/06/2024
2119 posts

Hi again, Caseyruth,

The following may also be of interest to you :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/chronic-kidney-disease-art-solbrig.html

Art


Kidney Disease Diet

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by peter (chicago) on 08/15/2022
★★★★★

Art

What do you recommend type of food for kidney disease patient?

Replied by Art
(California)
08/15/2022
2119 posts

Peter,

I am not a nutritionist, so I can't give good advice on what would be the best foods for people with CKD to eat, but there is a myriad of nutritional information available on the subject using a simple google search. Here is a typical result :

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-foods-for-kidneys

Art

Art
(California)
06/07/2023
2119 posts

This newer review of studies (March 2023) , adds further confirmation to the effectiveness of Melatonin for kidney disease of multiple types : Https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10047594/#:~:text=Melatonin has been proven to, without regard to the mechanism. Here is a relevant and important quote from the review : ' This means that the supplementation of melatonin can be helpful in almost every type of kidney injury because inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress occur, regardless of the mechanism. The administration of melatonin has a renoprotective effect and inhibits the progression of complications connected to renal failure. It is very important that exogenous melatonin supplementation is well tolerated and that the number of side effects caused by this type of treatment is low. ' Art



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