Credit: iStock Salt is everywhere. It’s used as seasoning and preserves our food. Without enough salt, our muscles, nerves and cells wouldn’t work properly. At the same time, too much salt can be harmful. Many of us know it's linked to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney damage, obesity and … Continue reading Salt and the Signals We Don’t Notice
Kidney Health
Oh ‘NO’! How Too Much Salt Affects the Kidneys
Eating too much salt is a huge problem. Globally, high salt can be linked to 1.65 million annual deaths from cardiovascular disease. High salt is often linked to high blood pressure, also called hypertension. However, some people who eat a lot of salt and have cardiovascular issues, have no hypertension. So, salt must be doing … Continue reading Oh ‘NO’! How Too Much Salt Affects the Kidneys
How Does Eating and Exercising at the Right Time Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease?
Karyn Esser, PhD, presents her research at the 2024 American Physiology Summit. Credit: American Physiological Society The role of the biological clock (circadian rhythm) on human health and disease was covered in depth at the 2023 American Physiology Summit. Learning about how the body’s clock works with other organs is a topic scientists are continually … Continue reading How Does Eating and Exercising at the Right Time Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease?
Spotlight On: Your Kidneys
Most people don’t think about the function of their kidneys daily, but these essential organs are very important. The main job of the kidneys is to regulate the transport of water, salt, blood and nutrients in the body, while removing waste—through urine—that is no longer needed. Each day, these two bean-shaped, fist-sized organs filter about … Continue reading Spotlight On: Your Kidneys
Type 2 Diabetes and You: It’s Complicated
People in the U.S. continue to eat diets high in saturated fat and get little exercise. And more and more of them are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While many people with diabetes make lifelong lifestyle changes to control their blood sugar, others may not understand that eating too much sugar when they have … Continue reading Type 2 Diabetes and You: It’s Complicated
Desperately Seeking Kidneys: New Future for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease?
The kidneys are an important pair of organs responsible for filtering water and waste out of the blood to produce urine. They help regulate blood pressure and produce hormones that the body needs to function properly. Kidney disease is often considered a silent disease because there are usually no detectable symptoms in the early stages. … Continue reading Desperately Seeking Kidneys: New Future for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease?
Kidney Trouble Could be a Downstream Consequence of the Flint Water Crisis
The water crisis in Flint, Mich., highlights the toxicity of lead. While the most publicized consequence of lead exposure are the long-term effects on developing brains, this toxic metal also damages the kidneys of adults and children. The people of Flint face a number of long-term health risks related to their current lead exposure, including … Continue reading Kidney Trouble Could be a Downstream Consequence of the Flint Water Crisis
Over 50 Percent of School-Age Children in the U.S. Are Dehydrated: Why Should We Be Alarmed?
The fluid in our body is water mixed with minerals and nutrient particles. Balancing the amount of mineral and nutrients to water level ensures that our body works properly. A recent study found that more than half of U.S. children between six and 19 are not drinking enough water. What are the health consequences if … Continue reading Over 50 Percent of School-Age Children in the U.S. Are Dehydrated: Why Should We Be Alarmed?
Water: Can You Get Too Much of a Good Thing?
Water is arguably the best drink on Earth. Drinking water provides undisputable benefits to humans, other animals and plants. We know it’s possible to overwater a plant, but what about us humans? Can we drink too much water? And is it worse to be over-hydrated or under-hydrated? “Many, many more people die from over-hydration than … Continue reading Water: Can You Get Too Much of a Good Thing?