 Phosphorus & Sodium
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Both elements share left / right-sided cell receptors and are considered essential to human health. When
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using intracellular measurements, Phosphorus (P) and Sodium (Na) allow for unique diagnostic and thera-
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peutic properties in regard to renal functions, where in contrast to their serum status, cellular levels extend
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from a low degenerative, to a high inflammatory range. Both kidneys are capable of handling the entire range
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of renal functions, but the right kidney generally controls sodium-related aspects, and the left kidney protein /
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phosphorus-related aspects, provided both kidneys are present, and in reasonable health.
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While this may initially sound strange to some uninformed practitioners, it makes a lot of sense once the rea-
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ons are analyzed why in the great majority of cases, patients end up with only one-sided kidney disturbances,
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whether they be kidney stones, infections, or other problems. It is not unusual to hear of patients who produce
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hundreds, or even thousands of kidney stones in one kidney only, but never the other, unless the first involved
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kidney is removed.
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When comparing the chemical profiles of a kidney donor and the kidney recipient before and after surgery,
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one gains a wealth of information on individual kidney functions and how to assist in their efficiency without
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drugs, and how they are not equal in maintaining pH balance, which can be very easily measured in both, the
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donor and recipient, after either the left or right kidney is donated.
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For instance, when a patient presents with a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), a cellular analysis will reveal the
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involvement and extent of the condition:
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If the bladder is affected, there is a significant rise in potassium.
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If the right kidney is affected, there is a significant rise in sodium.
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If the left kidney is affected, there is a significant rise in phosphorus.
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Treatments can be formulated accordingly - either by prescribing conventional medications (if not familiar with
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nutritional concepts), or by simply lowering elevated levels pertaining to the above indicators, using common
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nutritional or biochemical principles:
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Sodium: chromium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, folate, Vitamin B2
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Phosphorus: calcium, zinc, Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
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Potassium: chromium, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, Vitamin B3/4
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Intracellular tests will identify the appropriate minerals / nutrients which will be low in ratio to the one(s) corre-
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sponding to the infection, and will thus help identify a (contributing) cause, provide a treatment, and establish
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a basis for future prevention. While potassium supplementation could be theoretically considered with right-
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sided kidney infections, it has to be used with caution because of its pro-inflammatory effect on the bladder
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when high, and in the event of a kidney and bladder infection, potassium would have to be lowered along
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with sodium.
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When selectively overdosing on phosphorus / protein or sodium beyond an individual's renal capacity, and
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provided both kidneys are equally healthy at the start, the right kidney will become diseased first with sodium,
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and the left one first with phosphorus (or protein). Very one-sided diets, or long-term use of specific drugs
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can affect both kidneys differently as well.
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Despite its essential requirement, sodium (salt) tends to suffer a bad reputation as a result of being linked to
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cardiovascular disease and stroke. While one cannot dispute its involvement, sodium only affects about one
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third of the population in that regard. The rest can be divided among those where:
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• someone's health is largely unaffected by the amount of salt (sodium chloride) consumed,
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• adequate sodium / salt intake is necessary to help counteract a tendency for low blood pressure and
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low sodium-related symptoms, such as dehydration, spinal / joint degeneration, depression, fatigue...,
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as well as help reverse higher LDL / HDL cholesterol ratios.
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While the liver largely controls total cholesterol, kidney chemistry has a primary effect on LDL / HDL
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ratios, whereby low sodium, and low phosphorus and/or protein encourage higher production of LDL
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cholesterol and VLDL triglycerides. On the other hand, a high sodium / magnesium ratio, and/or a
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high phosphorus / calcium ratio are implicated with some forms of gout. Depending how efficient the
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body is in recycling chloride, low salt intake can also be a reason for reduced stomach acid levels.
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• salt should be used sparingly due to very low Aldosterone Levels, which are inhibited even more
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by higher salt intake. People who are sodium-sensitive generally are well aware of their problem, as
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they quickly retain extra water when ingesting larger amounts of salt, or their blood pressure goes up,
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however there are those who respond the opposite, where for instance drinking a medium-sized glass
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of water saturated with common table salt will have them keep running to the bathroom some time later,
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with some individuals losing perhaps as much as 10-15 lb of water weight. This is similar to the
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opposing effect of simple sugar consumption on hypoglycemia versus hyperglycemia.
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In such a case, the strategy is not to increase someone's salt intake, but to boost aldosterone levels,
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which will subsequently increase sodium retention. Nutritional factors such as choline, licorice, iron,
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Vitamin B1, and - to a small extent - Vitamin E can be used for that purpose, which should be matched
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to individual requirements.
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Occasionally I see patients exhibiting very low sodium, and medication-resistant high blood pressure, in
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which case sodium-raising supplements - by normalizing blood viscosity - resolve their hypertension.
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Since an individual's Renal Capacity declines over a lifetime, it may be prudent for anyone, especially those
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with a family history of kidney problems, to avoid drugs, medications, or even foods or nutritional supplements
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that have a tendency to compromise kidey functions and accelerate that process. Most prescription drugs,
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particularly blood thinners and NSAIDs, and many OTC drugs (Aspirin, Ibuprofen...) have a detrimental effect
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on renal functions, so patients and their practitioners have to carefully weigh a drug's benefits against those
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negative aspects.
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Dietary factors that - in excess - have an unfavorable impact on kidney functions include foods with a high
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Oxalic Acid content such as found in rhubarb, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, cocoa products, and beets
(especially beet greens), very high protein diets that are followed for longer periods of time, high phosphorus-
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containing foods or beverages (meats, seafood, eggs, grains, dairy, nuts, soft drinks), excessive amounts of
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alcohol, creatine supplements, as well as real (glycyrrhizin-containing) licorice.
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The same applies to insufficient intake of calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, Vitamin K, Vitamin C with
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bioflavonoids, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), and other essential nutrients. Of course
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a single, major kidney infection (e.g. from E.coli) may cause enough kidney damage to result in early hyper-
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tension, or even require dialysis.
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