How to lower creatinine level naturally: Home remedies, diet, herbs, and yoga

Creatinine is a chemical waste product produced by your muscles and excreted through the kidneys. Creatinine is a product of creatine metabolism, and roughly two percent of creatine in our bodies is converted to creatinine every day.

Creatinine levels remain relatively consistent if little to no changes occur in our muscle mass. In fact, creatinine levels are a good way to measure kidney functioning.

Knowing what factors lead to high creatine levels is important when discussing how to lower creatinine levels quickly. These factors include the following:

• Dehydration
• Certain medication – ACE inhibitors, NSAIDs
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Excessive exercise
• Kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid issues
• Excessive blood loss
• Increased muscle building
• Creatine supplements
• Increased amounts of red meat in the diet

Having high creatinine levels can lead to symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Tiredness
• Frequent urination at night
• Dark colored urine
• Itchy skin
• Difficulty breathing

The following information will give you a brief overview of various home remedies, dietary recommendations, herbal supplementations, and yoga exercise that can help lower creatinine levels.

Home remedies to lower creatinine levels

• Drink lots of water: This prevents your body from experiencing excessive dehydration—a cause for increased creatinine levels. It is recommended to drink between eight to ten glasses of water every day. While this may seem difficult for most people, spacing out your water consumption over the day and limiting the amount a couple hours before bed is the best way to go about it. Of course, more water consumption means more urination.
• Avoid vanadium and creatine supplements: These are commonly consumed supplements used by athletes and bodybuilders to gain muscle mass. However, they supply the body with extra amounts of creatine to the body, which can potentially be dangerous, as it increases pressure on the kidneys and may lead to heart problems or muscle cramps.
• Limit strenuous activities: When pushing your body to the limit through exercise or other physical activity, your body converts creatine to creatinine, increasing its levels in the blood. It is recommended to not over-train to remain in optimal shape.
• Barley: This cereal grain has diuretic properties, meaning it will make you pee. This helps to clean out the kidney and eliminate any extra stores of creatinine. Barley is also rich in fiber and improves digestive health.
• Sleep well: When we rest, many functions of the body decrease, which the conversion of creatine to creatinine being affected. Getting enough sleep helps give your kidneys enough time to properly remove creatinine from the body. It is recommended to get around six to eight hours of sleep per night.

How to lower creatinine levels with diet

• Reduce sodium intake: Consuming excess sodium can lead to many problems in the body, but having the right amount is still needed. Having too much of it, however, can lead your body to hold on to water, limiting urination. Excessive sodium can be found in fatty foods, fast foods, and food that is heavily processed. By making your own meals at home, you can effectively limit the amount of sodium you consume, as you will be in complete control of its addition.
• Check your protein intake: Excessive consumption of protein can be very hard on the kidneys. In fact, people with kidney disease are instructed to follow a low-protein diet for this exact reason. High protein foods include beans, fish, milk, egg, lean meats, and red meats.
• Avoid phosphorus rich foods: This is a substance that requires the kidney to excrete. Therefore, in those with kidney disease, it would be expected to see increased phosphorus levels during lab testing. Foods that are rich in phosphorous include bran, pumpkin seeds, cheese, sesame seeds, tahini, bacon, and number.
• Limit the potassium intake: This is also a substance that is primarily excreted by the kidneys. Foods rich in potassium include avocados, cocoa powder, chocolates, prunes, and nuts.

Herbal remedies to reduce creatinine levels

• Chamomile tea: Known for its sedative-like effects, helping us get to sleep. This tea is also very effective in reducing creatinine levels.
• Stinging nettle: A natural diuretic, this herb is very useful for removing chemical wastes from the body.
• Cinnamon: Not only a tasty addition to any dessert, this spice is great for stimulating kidney function. It has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and reduce creatine levels in the body.
• Dandelion root: Considered a natural diuretic, this commonly found herb can help lower creatinine levels and improve kidney function.
• Siberian ginseng: A well-known root used for centuries, as it holds many beneficial health effects, such as treating fatigue and stress. It can also be used for improving kidney function.
• Astragalus: This pretty looking flower not only acts as a diuretic helping to reduce creatinine levels, but also helps in improving your metabolism and eliminating excess fluid from the kidneys
• Sage: A well-known herb for its many beneficial properties. Sage has proven to be effective for improving kidney circulation, it has also been known to decrease the risk of kidney failure.
• Rhubarb: A natural diuretic, this plant can help increase the urination process helping to eliminate harmful metabolic wastes from the body. It often only takes a single stalk of rhubarb and boiling it in water, drinking it twice a day to do the trick.
• Corn silk: This layer of corn is often tossed away, but it actually has some useful properties. It may act as a natural diuretic.

How to reduce creatinine through yoga

Yoga is a type of physical, mental, and spiritual exercise. The use of certain yoga positions and exercises may aid in the relief of certain kidney pathologies that lead to increased levels of creatinine in the body, such as IgA nephropathy. However, it is important to speak to your doctor before treating any condition not specifically recommended by your doctor first. The following is a yoga move that helps with creatinine clearance:

Spinal twist:

• Sit up with the legs straight and in front of your, keeping the feet together and the spine straight up
• Bend the left leg and place the heel of the left foot beside the right hip
• Take the right leg over the right knee
• Place the left hand on the right knee and the right hand placed behind you
• Twist at the waist, shoulders, and neck in this order while you look over the right shoulder
• Keep the spine straight
• Hold this position and breathe
• Repeat on the other side