Organs like the liver and kidney aren’t given much thought until they're not functioning properly. But again, like the liver, the kidney is among the most important of organs to the body because it acts as a filtering agent, removing excess minerals (like sodium and potassium, electrolytes that affect the overall function of the body’s metabolic state) and other toxins from the body. The kidney also helps create red blood cells that are vital for oxygen delivery.

But when kidney disease rears its ugly head, these and other vital functions are all put into jeopardy. And that’s what women risk if they drink as little as two cans of soda per day.

Published in the journal PLoS One, researchers write about the stunning numbers they gathered after an analysis of over 9,300 adult men and women. The data they accumulated was based on the 9,300 participants’ urine samples, along with survey data each person filled out regarding their average diet.

Now, there are several indicators in determining whether or not someone has kidney disease. Symptoms are certainly one indicator, but the most reliable indicator comes from the urine.

For example, when an excessive amount of a particular protein is present in urine, that’s a really good sign the person either has kidney disease, or is on their way to getting it (the National Kidney Foundation estimates that approximately 26 million Americans have kidney disease, with several million others at risk based on their health data). The protein to look out for is called albumin. Unfortunately for the women in the study, this is the very protein that many of them excreted.

When the Loyola University researchers compared the urine tests to the women’s dietary surveys, they found that those women who consumed at least two cans of soda a day were almost two times more likely to have this condition than those who drank less. Think about that: being two times more likely to have a condition that can rapidly lead to kidney failure if not caught in time. And all from a can of soda!

Now people can excrete albumin and still not have kidney disease – through vigorous exercise, for instance. But if albumin is leaked consistently, it’s a sign that damage has been done to the kidneys and one’s diet needs some serious altering (leaking albumin also increases the risk of heart disease).

Again, I applaud my dear friend’s efforts in cutting back her soda consumption. But the time has come for her to really start taking things seriously and getting off soda entirely. I’m sure she’ll miss soda’s effervescence, but I’m more partial to HER effervescence – a quality that could go flat should she continue to put her kidneys at risk (the number one cause of death among people with kidney disease is heart disease).

Sources
Science Daily
National Kidney Foundation