Michigan urologist shares 4 worst drinks for kidney health: Soda, coffee and more

If you wish to protect your kidney health, consider avoiding or limiting these 4 drinks. Know what are the alternatives.

Drinks dominate the daily diet. They serve various purposes, from refreshing the mood, improving energy, to helping you to better swallow food, like pairing sodas with dry pizza or a burger. But what about your kidneys? The very base of how your body handles fluids actually depends on them, so how do they react to these everyday beverage choices?

Say goodbye to soda if you want to stay healthy with good renal health. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Addressing the common beverages that may harm kidney health, Dr Tarek Pacha, a Michigan-based urologist, shared in an October 22 Instagram post about the negative impacts of popular beverages and what people should choose instead.

The urologist observed how these kidneys are affected by popular beverages in his practice. The kidney is vital for overall health because, as Dr Pacha noted, it works twenty-four seven to filter out the toxins. But some drinks may disrupt this process.

Let's take a closer look at each of the drinks that may harbour kidney-damaging properties, along with healthier alternatives.

1. Soda

Sodas are regularly paired with foods like burger, pizza. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Soda is very commonly served with meals because people feel it helps with quick digestion and makes eating feel easier, and helps them swallow more comfortably. But soda topped the urologist's list of ‘offenders’ for kidney health. He cautioned against the dark coloured sodas, especially.

“They are packed with phosphoric acid, which can lead to kidney stones and, over time, can damage the kidneys. Also, the high sugar content can lead to obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. These are three critical negative factors that can affect your kidneys,” he described the demerits of soda consumption for kidney health. Soda for long is associated with weight gain, blood sugar spike and hypertension. All these are precursors of kidney damage.

Instead, Dr Pacha advised choosing sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime, which gives you the fizz without any heavy additives, unlike soda.

2. Excessive coffee

Limit your coffee intake, and if possible, choose non-caffeine options. (Picture credit: Unsplash)

Feeling sluggish? Reaching out for coffee or energy drinks may feel instinctive as a way to improve alertness, stay awake or simply freshen up. But turns out high caffeine levels in these drinks actually harm your kidneys. Dr Pacha warned that dehydration is one of the prominent consequences of these drinks.

“High caffeine levels can dehydrate the kidneys and lead to elevated blood pressure,” Dr Pacha warned. “Both risk factors for kidney disease. And similar to soda, these things are loaded with cheap sugar and a lot of chemicals that are certainly damaging to the kidneys.”

In other words, when you are dehydrated, you are making your kidneys overwork, which in the long term exerts a lot of stress on kidney health, increasing the chances of kidney damage.

Dr Pacha instead suggested going for high-quality, mould-free coffee and limiting it to two to three cups a day. He also advised a non-caffeine option: green tea. The urologist shared his personal favourite hack, “My personal favourite is movement outside in sunshine,” he added.

3. Sports drinks

The food dye in sports drinks is not good for kidney health. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Any rigorous physical sports activity makes you sweat a lot. For this, sports drinks come as a handy solution as they are often marketed as being energy boosters with electrolytes and other mineral support. But urologist Dr Pacha cautioned that they contain unhealthy ingredients. Food dye is one of the big concerns, as the irologist pointed out. These sports drinks are also high in sugar, particularly artificial sugar, which causes a blood sugar spike and puts stress on your kidneys.

4. Smoothie

Limit the greens in your smoothie. (Picture credit: Shutterstock)

Smoothie may come as a surprise addition to the urologist's list of kidney health offenders. They are a go-to before work and are often listed among healthy foods. But this does not automatically mean they are kidney-friendly too.

Smoothies may include leafy greens like spinach and kale. While they are good for your health, the portion size matters because large amounts can pack in a lot of oxalates, as Dr Pacha shared, which increase kidney stones.

Dr Pacha's advice is that stick to simple hydration with the help of ‘clean fluids.’

Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice.