The Kidneys, our organs of Water!

Whenever the Water Element is being discussed in Eastern Medicine the Kidneys never fail to come up in the conversation! It holds great importance in our medicine and you would be hard pressed to find a condition that does not include them. Let’s jump right in!

The Kidneys hold the key to life itself. More specifically, they are relied upon for reproduction, bone growth, fluid metabolism, and Qi and Blood production. All the things meant to give us life and keep us alive are rooted in our Kidney function.

Concerning reproduction, the Kidneys are charged with the quality of sperm, male and female sexual function, fertility levels, ovulation, and also activates the menstrual cycle. Their Essence (known as Jing) is what determines our body’s strengths and weaknesses when we are born. Instead of saying a part of our DNA has mutated strands, we have bad genes, or we have chromosome issues (since in ancient times they have not discovered any of this) when we are born with a condition or are prone to certain things, it is called having weak Jing. Jing also is used to help properly metabolize our food and drink when appropriate. The Jing of the Kidneys are so important that many treatments are focused on preserving it as it is said that we are born with a limited amount of it and is used up as our life progresses.

After we are born, our growth concerning teeth erupting, the hair on our head coming in, and bone growth (as well as strength) all depend on how strong our Kidneys are and the status of our Jing. Early greying of hair, teeth being loose prematurely or failing to come in, or weak bones can signify Kidney and Jing issues. When the time arrives, delayed activation of menstruation or poor reproduction also can signify Kidney and Jing issues.

The most common issue that anyone can see (besides the aging part) are swelling of the knees, legs, and (particularly) ankles. This is very common in the elderly and shows that the fluid metabolism in their body is not functioning properly and this falls on the Kidneys and Bladder. The Bladder is not voiding fluids properly and the Kidneys are not properly handling the fluids causing them to sit elsewhere in the body (Fluid metabolism mechanics will be another post as it is too long to explain here). If the Kidneys are weakening, the swelling continues because they are absolutely necessary to process our fluids (separating the healthy fluids that should stay in our body from the waste that should be sent to the Bladder). Also, just like in Western medicine, abnormally long voidings of urine or small amounts relative to what one has drank is already under the scope of the Kidneys and Bladder not handling fluids properly.

An interesting note is that the Kidneys balance the Heart by preventing it from overheating using their Cold nature. If this connection is weak, you may see high blood pressure, anxiety, palpitations, and other related signs and symptoms if the Kidneys let the Heart overheat or become too Cold.

So what are things we can do to benefit our Kidneys? Here are 2 most common tips:

Be aware of your hydration habits

Being hydrated is great but if you drink too many fluids you will make the Kidneys work harder to process the extra fluids which will burn them out over time. If you are dehydrated, then the Kidneys will want to hold on to any fluids it can take in and might hold on to the waste. Salty foods and herbs are used to help with Kidney function but in low doses. If you find you are losing fluids quickly, sweating more than normal, etc. Try having some soup to help slow the loss of fluids down to keep more of them in. In more severe circumstances you might want to try a sport’s drink (be careful as they are loaded with salt and sugar).

Exercise in moderation

I think I have hammered home the concept of being careful with exercise during the Winter and Summer enough but what I haven’t included is the fact that you need to be careful with how hard you exercise. High impact activities from jogging to football will do a number on your bones. Too much impact will not only degrade and weaken certain bone structures of the body but can also lead to contusions and breaks. The repeated trauma ends up straining the Kidneys (and their Jing) in that it has to keep trying to repair the bones on top of maintaining all the rest in our body. Once one area goes weak, others will follow and patients typically feel it when they get older since our Jing gets weaker.

In all honesty the list goes on for what the Kidneys do for us and what we can do for the Kidneys. This is just the tip of the iceberg and in the future more information will be given. Stay healthy!