Replied by Art from California on 08/15/2022

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

Replied by Art from California on 06/07/2023

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

Replied by Manuel from Buenos Aires., Argentina on 07/08/2025

Hello Art,

I ran into your post in Earth clinic looking for solutions to my CKD that surprisingly resulted in a Stage 4 condition, plus Anemia. I read the complete post and was surprised by your 5 natural Remedies to manage the condition. I do take them all, as I am a total fan of Natural Remedies since 15 years ago EC cured my gout condition which was so severe I had gout pain every 4 months, and by taking Apple Cider Vinegar with Sodium Bicarbonate I could walk freely again... they may come evry couple of years if so now. Doctors would prescribe pain killers!!

Now I was told to REDUCE my Magnesium Citrate supplementation and ELIMINATE Sodium Bicarbonate because of its Sodium content. I take 2.6 gr of Mg.Citrate for a 400 mg Magnesium daily dose and my blood level is at 2.4 mg/ml..Big Pharma doctors think that what they do not know should not be taken which is not Logical and not Scientific

What would be the Appropriate Dose of Sodium Bicarbonate you would recommend and how to take it? I have been taking 9 mg Melatonin for years now Orally, do you believe thi sis correct?

Thnks Art, and you have my complete admiration for what you do in your posts in Earth Clinic, Manuel

Replied by Art from California on 07/08/2025

Hi Manuel,

Thank you for the kind words of appreciation!

You'll have to give me more information so I can give you a more informed answer.

Are you diabetic?

You don't say how you have responded to the regimen compared to before the regimen? Is there clear benefit or no benefit?

Is there a specific reason your doctor wants you to discontinue bicarbonate of soda if it is not having a negative effect on you or your test results in any way or is it having a negative effect?

The dose of magnesium citrate is inside of the RDA for men(400 ~ 420 mg/day of elemental magnesium), but the blood level appears high, if accurate. Is it negatively impacting your test results or health? If you significantly reduce your dose, will they allow using liquid magnesium chloride (spray) topically in the areas of the kidneys?

My list of supplements relating to CKD is very lengthy and I can offer other suggestions for you to discuss with your doctors if needed, but I would like the above questions answered if possible.

Here are a few for them to consider as replacements :

Blueberry Extract

Stinging Nettle

Silymarin

Art

Replied by Manuel from Argentina on 07/15/2025

Thanks for your reply Art,

Regarding if I am Diabetic, the answer is NO

I only started the Diet/Regimen a bit less than a month ago.. It is very strict keeping the following limits: Protein from 47 to 62 gr....Potassium from 2.000 to 2500 and Phosphorous from 800 to 1000 milligrams... with 15 day average at 51,1840 and 790 respectively, and I am keeping track with values per 100 gr. of each food in an Excel program...Absolutely no salt in food Too soon to verify if the diet is the key variable in the 20% increase in TFG because I also take 4000 IU Eritropoyetin injection weekly (to fix Anemia) plus the the 5 supplements you recommended.

My Doctor did not say to discontinue the Sodium Bicarbonate.. It was Chat GPT which at first said that Sodium was a NO NO ...In reality 2 grams of Sodium Bicarbonate only has only a few milligrams of Sodium molecule.. So I sent Chat GPT the link you posted of NIH and it changed its mind and said that a 20% decrease in kidney decay was very meaningful and it seemed Ok to take it.

According to the Lab Limit,

Magnesium level in Blood of 2.4 mg/dl touches the maximum ... Could it be damaging the kidneys?? If not I can keep taking the 400 mg. of Mg.

Taking care and slowing down my CKD is the objective now, so Please send me the complete list of supplements to help this issue.

By the way do you think that Colloidal Silver of very small particles at 10 ppm may damage the kidneys? it cures too many things.

Thanks again for your continuous interest

Manuel

Replied by Art from California on 07/15/2025

Hi Manuel,

Regarding AI in general, there seem to be many reports on the internet discussing the reliability of AI reports. Personally I feel more comfortable with actual studies in people or at least animals to use as guides. As an example, I asked an AI a question regarding Parkinson's disease and then asked the same the very next day and the two answers were not the same. I understand that as the science evolves that AI should be constantly updating their data, but this seems like it would only happen after at least a month has passed, not the very next day!

As I said, in my opinion, your magnesium level seems high and significantly lowering the dose seems appropriate. Perhaps take a break from oral magnesium citrate and switch to magnesium chloride spray (mag oil) applied topically over the kidney areas front and back each day to try and target the kidney area. Mag oil ultimately goes systemic anyway.

Since you are at an advanced stage of CKD (stage 4), determining a proper dose of sodium bicarbonate will have to be determined by your doctor because regular monitoring will be needed. They will first have to determine if your bicarbonate level is normal and determine dosing accordingly from there. Here is a human study link to show to your doctor so that your doctor can understand that sodium bicarbonate has health value for your kidneys and also to give a starting guide in terms of dosage :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11843131/

Here is a relevant quote from the human study :

' In this randomized, interventional 3-arm trial of participants with macroalbuminuric, primary hypertension-associated CKD and normal eGFR, dietary acid reduction over 5 years with either F&Vs or NaHCO₃ (HCO₃⁻) yielded improved (i.e., less acid) systemic acid-base status. Improvement was manifest by parameters not usually assessed clinically, including less acid accumulation and greater urine citrate excretion (8-hour UcitV). Improved acid-base status was also manifest by parameters assessed clinically, including higher levels of PTCO₂, PHCO₃⁻, and PCO₂. The 2 intervention groups had lower UNAE excretion than UC, consistent with a reduced acid challenge. Furthermore, improved acid-base status was associated with less oxidative stress assessed by lower U8-iso excretion, and less kidney injury assessed by lower UACR, urine N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine, and urine angiotensinogen excretion. Indeed, both intervention groups had higher eGFR at 5 years than UC. These data show that typical modern diets, largely acid-producing, ⁴ can cause sustained acid accumulation in those with normal eGFR, similar to patients with CKD and reduced eGFR. In addition, this acid accumulation can be reduced by less acid-producing foods or by mineral alkali like NaHCO₃; both interventions were associated with less kidney injury. '

The graphs in the above study link are very revealing and may be what it takes to show your doctor the usefulness of using sodium bicarbonate long term as this was a 5 year study.

As to the 9 mg of melatonin, in studies melatonin starts to show benefits for humans at 1/2 (.5 mg) a milligram. In your case though, you are apparently tolerating the 9 mg/day dose well so far. Your doctor will have to decide if a further increase in dose will be good or not because it will also have to be compatible with other meds you may be taking. Pretty much all supplements and their dosing will need to be approved by your doctor since you are in stage 4 CKD.

Do you have hypertension? You didn't mention if the cause of your CKD is known. If you do have hypertension and are on a specific hypertension med, you might ask your doctor if you can switch to Beet Root Powder Capsules (BRPC) as these can lower blood pressure while potentially offering benefits for the kidneys at the same time. I like when a single supplement can have multiple uses.

As to other supplements to consider for CKD, the three supplements I mentioned are a good place to start since your doctor will need to approve and supervise them and I think these three may have a better chance of meeting your doctor's approval and will probably be at the supplement limit for your doctor in number. Again, those three at label dosing are :

Blueberry Extract

Stinging Nettle

Silymarin

These three are quite potent and likely to have synergy due to varying methods of action in CKD. All three have very good safety profiles which your doctor should check and is especially important in your case.

Art

Replied by Manuel from Argentina on 08/07/2025

Wow what a ton of information

I had a busy end of July so I did not see your post till today. I neeed to read it all carefully and study the link you pasted deeply

Yes the GPT does make mistakes and also reconsiders what it says when differences are pointed out... Bu are doctors a lot better?? Many doctors are clueless of many important things... Most here have no clue as to what you post...They look at you with a funny face when you quote HC (my serious gout issue was not cured by any doctor- Paikillers galore - and HC did the job with ACV+ Sodium Bicarbonate.

Will keep in touch Art.. a total pleasure reding you...Willl have some questons.

Best, Manuel

Replied by Manuel from ARgentina on 09/22/2025

I carefully read all your posts I am doing the 5 steps you recommend for the CKD as some were in my usual schedule. In a post above you say " My full list of supplements for CKD is very lengthy (29) " Can you send me or post the list? If with˙quantity better yet. Also which˙would be, from you experience, the milligrams of Sodium Bicarbonate to takefor the CKD pausing of 20% effect of the graph of NIH? With great appreciation for your effort in helping people: It is a blessing which humanity should imitate instead of fighting with each other.. Manuel

Replied by Art from California on 09/22/2025

Hi Manuel,

In the article I included the link to a study that used sodium bicarbonate. Here is a quote showing the dose used :

' Oral sodium bicarbonate supplementation was given at a dosage of 1.82 ± 0.80 g/d, whereas the control group received standard treatment. '

Warning :

Because hypertension can sometimes be the cause or contributing factor to CKD, this dose will have to be reviewed and adjusted by your doctor after your doctor makes sure that your blood pressure is well controlled before starting you on sodium bicarbonate, as it contains salt which can potentially increase hypertension. I am not a doctor and can not make that dose adjustment for you.

As far as other supplements, I already mentioned three that suggest potential benefit in CKD, that your doctor is likely to approve and should be more than helpful in managing the CKD.

Art

Replied by Manuel from Argentina on 09/24/2025

My blood pressure is around 160/80 most of my living years

I am not a doctor obviously.... so can you tell me the milligrams of Magnesium corresponding to the dosage of 1.82 ± 0.80 g/d, you mention? ..I have no idea what that it is.Yes, as you say Miligrams of available Magnesium in the compount/supplemen

You, who different from the 90% of doctors, do RESEARCH, and in my opinion are far more capable of finding solutions..Never did I find a doctor who looked at Earh Clinic.. They smile and disegard when I mention it.

Can you post the 29 other supplements you have founwhich are positive for the kidney?

Many many thaks as usual, Manuel

Replied by Art from California on 09/24/2025

Hi Manuel,

The 160 is high, the 80 is normal, but the 160 is concerning and very concerning with stage 4 CKD. Your doctor should be working on trying to normalize that. You can ask your doctor about possibly using beet root powder capsules (BRPC) to try and further control that 160. BRPC has also shown potential benefit for CKD, so it seems worth having that discussion with your doctor. Given that longer term use of some blood pressure medications are known to cause kidney damage, your doctor may be more open to BRPC to improve your blood pressure. Here is a brief abstract mentioning beet root as possibly beneficial for CKD :

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34613396/#:~:text=Abstract, All rights reserved.

Here is a relevant quote from the link :

' Growing evidence indicates that diet is an indispensable ally in the prevention and management of CKD and its complications. In this context, the root vegetable beetroot (Beta vulgaris rubra) deserves special attention because it is a source of several bioactive compounds, such as nitrate, betaine, and betalain, and has shown beneficial effects in CKD, including reduction of blood pressure, anti-inflammatory effects, and antioxidant actions by scavenging radical oxidative species, as observed in preclinical studies. Beetroot consumption as a possible therapeutic strategy to improve the clinical treatment of patients with CKD and future directions for clinical studies are addressed in this narrative review. '

The BRPC could also lower the 80, but there is some play room there if it does go lower.

They were using sodium bicarbonate in the study I linked to, not magnesium.

What they are giving is a dose range, so apparently not everyone got the same dose and perhaps it was based on weight or some other measure. The dose they showed is 1.82 +/- .80 g per day. I take the g to be grams. So I read that as a dose range of 1020 mg - 2620 mg per day. This is a very wide dose range and that is why I say your doctor will have to determine the proper dose for you or possibly start you at the lowest dose and steadily increase the dose over a period of time while monitoring your blood pressure and kidney function regularly. The last option seems a safer way to go, but your doctor will have to make that determination. It may help for you to make a copy of that 2024 study to give to your doctor so he can be clear on the study parameters and findings. Here is a link to the full study :

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11843131/

There is no way your doctor is going to consider or even review a list of 30 supplements to consider for your use, but on the other hand, your doctor may seriously consider the three I mentioned to you previously and all three should be beneficial toward your needs. Again those three are :

1. Blueberry Extract

2. Silymarin

3. Stinging Nettle

No matter what you decide, your doctor's approval and supervision along with regular testing are absolutely needed for everything you are taking or planning to take. Stage 4 CKD is a severe stage of kidney damage and I don't take that lightly.

Art

Replied by Art from California on 09/24/2025

Hi again, Manuel,

In my previous reply, please change #3. from Stinging Nettle to Astaxanthin (AST) as AST is generally very well tolerated and more studied for the purpose as a kidney protectant. I'm thinking that the very good safety profile and more kidney related studies may make it a more desirable choice for your doctor over the less studied stinging nettle for kidney issues.

Art

Replied by Manuel from Argentina on 09/29/2025

Canyou give an idea of thedosage of Astaxanthin in Milligrams

Will start withe the 100 mg Sodiunm Bicarbonate for 1 month monitoring blood pressure and do a Creatinine level test to check

thanks one more time

Manuel

Replied by Art from California on 09/29/2025

Hi Manuel,

Most newer human studies have used from 8 mg/day up to 24 mg/day of Astaxanthin, but with all things you try or test, your doctor will need to approve and supervise your use of astaxanthin since you are in stage 4 CKD. I still use a 24 mg liposomal form of Astaxanthin and have used it for years to increase endurance as I wrote about here a few years ago :

https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/astaxanthin-for-endurance.html

When you discuss it with your doctor, see if he will consider the 24 mg dose.

Art