How to Do a Kidney Cleansing Fast

Medically reviewed by Shari Forschen, NP, MA

Last Updated: October 28, 2023 Approved

Your kidneys serve the important function of filtering and managing the waste your body produces, so it's essential to keep them healthy. Although detox diets and fasts have become increasingly popular, there is little scientific evidence to suggest that they can eliminate toxins from your body. Your liver and kidneys are very effective at doing this themselves, so you should concentrate on keeping these organs healthy, rather than fasting or detox dieting.^{[1]
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Go to source} If you do decide to try a cleansing fast, drink lots of water and eat kidney-friendly food.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Trying a Cleansing Fast

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1
Check with your doctor first. Consult your doctor before starting a kidney cleansing fast. Depending on your current health conditions, it may not be safe. Don’t be surprised if your doctor expresses some skepticism about the benefits of your fast. She will most likely recommend you just drink more fluids and improve your diet to achieve lasting kidney-health.
- If you have diagnosed kidney problems, your doctor may prescribe a diet for you in cooperation with a dietitian.^{[2]
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- A kidney cleansing fast can affect medication absorption, so do not fast if you are taking any medication.
If you want to go on a kidney cleansing fast, the safest way to do it is just to increase the amount of water you drink. Try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day to help keep your kidneys healthy. If you do opt for a kidney cleansing fast, make sure you continue to drink plenty of water.^{[3]
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Eat less refined foods. Help out your kidneys by cutting out refined and high-sodium foods. Refined carbohydrates that you should try to limit include: sweets, chocolate, cake, biscuits, and sugary drinks.^{[4]
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- A detox diet that cuts out all highly processed foods can make you feel better in the short-term.
- For a long-term solution, opt for a balanced diet.^{[5]
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4
Try an apple juice cleanse. If you want a short-term method that may help cleanse your kidneys, you can attempt a fluid-only fast. One method claims that consuming up to a gallon of apple juice and up to a gallon of distilled water a day, over the course of three days, can help cleanse your kidneys and pass kidney stones.^{[6]
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- Apples are a good choice to help keep your kidneys healthy.
- Apples can help lower cholesterol and glucose levels, and are good source of vitamin C. The peel is also a good source of antioxidants.^{[7]
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- Be aware that bought apple juice often contains a lot of sugar.
5
Consider the “lemonade diet.” An alternative fluid cleanse is known as the “lemonade diet.” This requires you to drink a concoction of two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of maple syrup, a tenth of teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1-2 cups of pure water.^{[8]
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- You then consume only this “lemonade” (followed by a glass of water chaser) for ten days, before reintroducing raw fruit and vegetables.^{[9]
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- You should have between 6 and 12 cups of the lemonade a day.
- You are also recommended to drink a laxative tea every morning.
- There is, however, no scientific evidence that such cleanses are a good approach to better sustainable health.^{[10]
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Try watermelon. Another fasting technique cited by some as a way to cleanse your kidney involves consuming a lot of watermelon. You can buy between 20 and 100 lbs of watermelon and then try to eat it throughout the day, while regularly emptying your bladder.
- If you have chronic kidney problems you should avoid this method due to the high levels of potassium in watermelon.
- You should not have more than a cup of watermelon a day if you have chronic kidney disease.^{[11]
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- Watermelons are around 92% water, so this fast is similar to just drinking a lot of water.
- Too much watermelon can cause health problems, so talk to your doctor first.^{[12]
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Consider a herbal cleanse. An alternative to the “lemonade diet” is a drinking a specially made herbal tea. This tea involves soaking a quarter cup of hydrangea root, gavel root and marshmallow root in ten cups of cold water. Leave it overnight and then add some boiled parsley, before bringing the whole mixture to boil and allowing it to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Once it has cooled, drink a quarter cup and then put the rest in containers.
- Each morning pour ¾ cup of the mixture and half a cup of water into a large mug.
- Add 20 drops to goldenrod tincture and a tablespoon of glycerine.
- Drink this throughout the day, but stop if you have stomach pains.^{[13]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Taking Care of your Kidneys

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1
Drink lots of water. You will help your kidneys function effectively, and cleanse the toxins from your body naturally, by drinking plenty of fluids. In general you should aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, but in hot weather you may need to drink more to make up for the fluid you lose through sweat.
- Monitor the colour of your urine to judge if you should be drinking more water.
- Your urine should be the colour of straw. If it is darker, you may be dehydrated and need to drink more.^{[14]
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- Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will lessen your risk of developing kidney stones.^{[15]
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Have a healthy diet. A healthy balanced diet will help you maintain good kidney-health, which in turn will help your body cleanse itself of toxins naturally. A healthy diet should include plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole grains in order to ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Use the myplate tool to evaluate and plan your diet: https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate.
- Some of the best foods for the health of your kidneys include apples, blueberries and strawberries.
- Try to include some kale, and spinach in your diet. Sweet potato is another kidney-friendly vegetable.
- Fish that is high in omega 3 – fatty acids are good for your kidneys. Try to include some salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines in your diet.^{[16]
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Cut down on salty and fatty foods. Lowering the amount of salty and fatty food you consume can help your kidneys to function more effectively. Buying fresh food more often than pre-prepared food can help you dramatically lower the amount of salt in your diet. Packaged foods often come with high levels of salt already included, but if you cook your own food you can control and lower the salt levels.
- Look on food labels for phrases like “sodium free,” “salt free,” “no salt added,” or “lightly salted.”
- Use herbs for flavour, rather than salt.
- Be sure to thoroughly rinse all canned beans, meats, vegetables and fish before you eat them.
4
Avoid smoking and alcohol. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol can both be very damaging for your kidneys. Try to stop smoking completely, and limit your alcohol consumption to not more than two small drinks a day for a man, or one for a woman.
- Smoking and drinking can both raise your blood pressure.
- High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of kidney disease.^{[17]
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- You should visit your doctor to have your blood pressure checked at lease every five years.^{[18]
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Have an active lifestyle. You should always couple a healthy diet with an active lifestyle. Being overweight will increase your blood pressure and can contribute to problems with your kidneys. In general, you should aim for at least around 150 minutes of exercise a week. This can include everything from running, cycling and swimming, to team sports and visiting the gym.^{[19]
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- Work out your BMI and use this to find out if you are at a healthy weight.
- You can use an online tool to do this: http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx

Expert Q&A

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Question

I had my serum creatitine level increased couple of months ago and I had a kidney stone. I had undergone a treatment where a stent was inserted into my kidney and was removed after a month. Now, I need to gain some weight, and I am a vegetarian. What foods can I eat to safely gain weight?

Shari Forschen, NP, MA
Family Nurse Practitioner
Shari Forschen is a Registered Nurse at Sanford Health in North Dakota. Shari has worked in healthcare since 1996 and her expertise lies in acute care bedside nursing on a medical oncology floor. She received her degree from Medcenter one College of Nursing in 2003 and her Family Nurse Practitioner Masters from the University of North Dakota in 2014. Shari is a member of the American Nurses Association.

Shari Forschen, NP, MA

Family Nurse Practitioner

Expert Answer

Work with your physician to identify a specific diet that is healthy for you. They may send you to a dietitian to obtain this goal.

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