Natural Help for Renal Failure

Renal failure is a life-threatening condition in which your kidneys are unable to do their job of removing toxins from the bloodstream, according to MedlinePlus. If doctors can't get your kidneys functioning again, you will be forced to begin dialysis, a procedure in which a machine takes over kidney function. Natural remedies cannot cure kidney failure, but they can ease stress on the organs, help them function more efficiently and avoid irreversible renal failure.

A Cautionary Note

• Like all forms of health-related therapy, folk medicine and herbal remedies sometimes can have unwanted side effects. Such is the case with some African folk remedies, which have been blamed for roughly 35 percent of all cases of acute renal failure on that continent. In a study published in the March 2002 issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, a group of South African doctors reports on the case of a 49-year-old South African man who went into acute renal failure after ingesting a folk medicine that included plant materials from the Cape aloe, a known nephrotoxin.

Acute vs. Chronic Failure

• The Merck Manual defines chronic renal failure, also known as chronic kidney disease, as "a longstanding, progressive deterioration of renal function." By contrast, acute renal failure is the sudden and abrupt loss of kidney function, which is a medical emergency and requires that you seek professional intervention immediately. The causes of acute failure are usually treatable and include infections, pregnancy complications, disorders that cause blood clots within the kidneys and a sudden drop in blood pressure, according to MedlinePlus. There is no cure for chronic renal failure, but both conventional and natural remedies can slow its progress.

Drink Lots of Water

• To keep your kidneys as healthy as possible, drink plenty of water each day. The Women's Health section of the Compleat Mother website says drinking lots of fluids "helps your kidneys continuously flush out the toxins, wastes and bacteria from your body which can cause disease, infections and kidney stones."

Herbs for Kidney Relief

• Herbs that act as natural diuretics, such as kelp, parsley and juniper berries, promote urine production, which helps clear the kidneys of toxins, according to the Compleat Mother website. Unlike prescription diuretics, however, these herbs are unlikely to dehydrate you or to leach important minerals, like potassium, from your body. Juniper berries have the added benefit of clearing congestion from the kidneys and urinary tract.

  The leaves of the uva ursi, a trailing evergreen shrub also known as bearberry, has antibacterial properties, as well as an astringent effect on mucous membranes, which helps to fight infection and inflammation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Compleat Mother says uva ursi strengthens kidney function.

  Just-for-You-Homeremedies.com says two cups of cleavers tea daily will help to normalize kidney function, while two daily cups of dandelion tea help to flush out the kidneys. Burdock tea (or burdock in capsule form) cleanses and detoxifies the kidneys. Evening primrose oil can help to reverse damage to the kidneys.