Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Faculty of Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics Department academic staff member Assist. Prof. Dr. Müjgan Öztürk wrote an article raising awareness on ‘World Kidney Day’. Assist. Prof. Dr. Öztürk made the following statements in her article titled “Protect Your Kidneys with a Healthy Lifestyle and Diet”:
“The second Thursday of March is observed as World Kidney Day every year, and the purpose of this day is to raise awareness about kidney health and diseases. The theme of World Kidney Day for 2022 has been determined as 'Kidney Health for All – Bridge the Knowledge Gap to Better Kidney Care '.
There are 850 million kidney patients worldwide, and it is predicted that by 2040, kidney diseases will be the 5th leading cause of death. Kidney diseases are very common in our country. It is estimated that one out of every 10 people in Cyprus has kidney disease and there are around 35,000 kidney patients in the whole population.
Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and hereditary kidney diseases are among the main risk factors of kidney diseases. Therefore, it is important for individuals with any of these diseases to have their kidneys checked regularly. Early diagnosis can slow or prevent the progression of kidney diseases.
Diet is of great importance both in the prevention and treatment of kidney diseases. The first step in the prevention of kidney diseases is to provide diversity in your diet and to consume a balanced diet from all food groups. Many studies reveal that the consumption of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in whole grains, olive oil, herbs, vegetables and fruit, fish and legumes, low-fat dairy products, and minimal in red meat, saturated fat and sugar, is protective against kidney diseases. For this reason, we should adopt the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle in Cyprus, which is a Mediterranean island
Another important point is salt consumption. Reducing daily salt consumption is very important in terms of both balancing blood pressure and reducing the burden on the kidney, whose task is to maintain sodium balance in the body. Most of the salt you consume daily comes from the food you consume. For this reason, you should pay attention to reading labels while shopping, and choose products that are low in salt and sodium. When buying cheese, halloumi and olives, you should choose low salt or unsalted ones, and avoid pickles and pickled foods. Flavoring your meals with seasonings such as spices and lemon instead of salt will also help reduce the amount of salt you consume daily.
A regular lifestyle is as necessary to maintain kidney health as nutrition. In this direction, sleeping 7-8 hours every night, not smoking, limiting our alcohol consumption habits and being physically active are important steps that can be followed in preventing kidney diseases.
Remember, just being aware of the kidney disease is not enough. It is necessary to have regular kidney checks, adopt a healthy diet, keep your blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels under control, and to lose weight if you are obese or slightly overweight to prevent kidney diseases and their progression.