Kidneys don’t get the same attention as other organs such as the heart, lungs, or brain. Instead, kidneys seem to be the forgotten organ. But kidneys play a critical role in our health and are essential to our well-being.
One Kidney, Two Kidney, Why The Kidney?
Most people have two kidneys and these two kidneys can play a vital role in the body, but healthy people can survive with just one properly functioning kidney.
Kidney’s Are Garbage Trucks
Part of the Renal System of your body, kidneys perform a vital part in our day to day health. Our kidneys help to remove wastes and extra fluid from the body. Your kidneys can filter around 200 quarts of blood a day while producing upwards of two quarts of urine. This urine contains waste and fluids. When our body disposes of this urine, we are getting rid of the waste and toxins, and this helps to keep our body healthy. While two kidneys share the load of filtering out fluids and waste from our blood, one kidney is able to handle the load, allowing people to have one kidney removed for donation or due to injury or disease.
Kidney’s and Blood Pressure
A surprising fact about kidneys is that they help us to control our blood pressure. Kidneys need the body’s blood pressure to be just right for them to function correctly. Since kidneys need blood pressure, they can change the blood pressure. The kidneys can ask for higher blood pressure, but they can also produce hormones to lower the blood pressure.
Kidney’s and Cell Production
Your kidneys also play a vital role in the production of red blood cells. Kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin. This hormone tells blood marrow to make more red blood cells. Similarly, kidneys can also help keep bones strong. They do this by creating an active form of vitamin D. Vitamin D is useful because it absorbs calcium and phosphorus, which are two elements that are important in maintaining bone health.
Kidney’s and PH Levels
Our body is full of acid, from the food we eat to all the cells that are breaking down. Our kidneys balance the pH in our bodies by removing or adjusting the amount of acid and buffering agents in our body, which means that we can have the right pH throughout the body. Improper PH balance can cause low energy, weak bones, stress, and more.
When our kidneys don’t work properly, dialysis may be needed. Dialysis involves filtering the blood through a machine. This ensures that the bodies waste and extra fluids are being removed so as not to allow these toxins to stay in your body.
As you can see, Kidneys can play a vital role in our body. They impact many different organs and parts of our bodies. While kidneys may never live up to the hype of other organs that have more visible impacts on our bodies. Do not forget about the kidneys and all the work they are doing to make sure that we live a healthy life.