Kidneys are quite susceptible to the wrong herbs, and not many studies have been done to see which herbs are renaltoxic. There’s a list of mostly Chinese herbs that are known to be kidney killers. And most herbal cleanses you’ll see include several diuretics. They push the kidneys to work harder. Only if your lab readings are completely normal would you even want to consider an herbal cleanse, and even then I don’t recommend much beyond uva ursi for infection and parsley/dandelion as a very gentle diuretic.
Kidneys are extremely delicate and the best way to keep them healthy is to keep the liver and bowels clean and get plenty of fluids. If they’re not doing their jobs, the kidneys get bombarded, and they don’t have the regenerative powers of the liver, which can regenerate an inch a year.
Basic Kidney Management
The safest kidney cleanse is the simplest: fasting from everything, including vitamin pills; drinking citrus juices and about half your body weight in ounces of filtered water a day (unless you weigh more than 200 pounds). Unsweetened cranberry juice should be drunk if there is any chance of infection. Marshmallow and Slippery Elm can also help with irritation.
If you don’t want to completely fast, then eat nothing but kichadi, vegetables, broths and citris drinks. A low-protein, no-dairy diet is one of the nicest things you can do for your kidneys. Eggs are okay, and since eggs are the very best protein, it makes sense to get your protein needs met with eggs so you can eat the least and get the most benefit, and the kichadi will help with that too.
Kidneys don’t like beets or spinach or most legumes – mung beans are the exception- or peas, because they have to excrete the purines that come from digestive breakdown.
Kidneys also don’t like NSAIDs, such as Advil, Aleve.
Most antibiotics are tough on the kidneys. Most pharmeceutical say “take with a large glass of water” and this is why.
If you have stones you would know. They are extremely painful. If you tend to create a lot of tartar on your teeth, then you have a phosphorous/calcium imbalance that could make you more prone to kidney stones and should not be drinking coffee or black tea.
It’s a good idea to do a kidney cleanse after about every 2-4 liver flushes. For the most part, as long as you watch your urine output and make sure it is the closest to clear as you can get it, have no other symptoms, are getting adequate skin food, eat vegetarian occasionally, you’re doing enough for your kidneys.