Kidney Disease and Herbal Supplements: Ask First, Take Second
A Health Note for Clinton Readers: Check With Your Kidney Doctor Before You Try That Herb
Most families around Clinton know somebody whose calendar is built around dialysis, or someone who has been told by a doctor to “watch the kidneys.” It comes up at church, at the ballfield and across the fence. And wherever people talk about a long-term illness, talk of home remedies and herbal supplements is never far behind.
This note is about that second conversation. Herbs have a place in many traditions, but kidneys are a special case, and one Ayurvedic herb called haritaki makes a useful example of why.
Why This Matters in Mississippi
The Mississippi State Department of Health, in a 2022 fact sheet on diabetes and chronic kidney disease, reported chronic kidney disease in 3.3 percent of Mississippians overall and in 9.3 percent of those with diabetes, roughly three times the overall figure. The department names diabetes and high blood pressure as the more common causes of kidney disease in most adults, two conditions many households in our state manage every day.
Across the country, a 2023 estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counts about 35.5 million adults with chronic kidney disease, more than 1 in 7, and says as many as 9 in 10 are unaware of it.
What Is Haritaki?
Haritaki is the dried fruit of a tree, Terminalia chebula, that grows across India. In Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine, it is highly regarded and is one of three fruits in a popular blend called triphala. Its traditional use is mainly for digestion and as a laxative. Here it is sold as a powder or capsule, often with “cleanse” or “detox” on the label.
What an Ayurvedic Doctor Told a Dialysis Patient
A dialysis patient with end-stage kidney disease, along with high blood pressure, too much uric acid and restless legs, asked about taking the herb on Ask Ayurveda, an online service where Ayurvedic doctors answer health questions. Readers can see the full exchange in an Ayurvedic doctor’s answer on haritaki for kidney health, and the short version is that the doctor advised against it.
The reasons were plain enough for anyone to follow. The doctor described the herb as a strong laxative with a drying effect that could throw off electrolytes, warned that potassium shifts are dangerous when the kidneys have failed, and said it could cause blood pressure to fall suddenly in a person already taking blood pressure medicine. Muscle cramps and worse restless legs were also on the list. According to the doctor, Ayurveda itself counts advanced kidney disease and dialysis among the situations where haritaki should be left alone.
The patient had also hoped the herb would help with meditation during treatment. The doctor’s reply was that focus and calm do not come from a powder, and suggested slow breathing and quiet repetition of a calming phrase instead.
The Wider Lesson About Supplements
You do not need to remember the name of one Indian fruit. The point is broader, and national health organizations make it clearly.
- Supplements are not checked the way medicines are. The FDA explains that it has no power to sign off on a supplement’s safety or effectiveness before it reaches the shelf.
- Damaged kidneys cannot clear things as well. According to the National Kidney Foundation, an herbal product can speed up kidney trouble or add to its complications.
- Some herbs carry hidden minerals. The same foundation lists herbal products that contain potassium or phosphorus, which kidney patients are often told to limit. The state health department’s fact sheet notes that high potassium in the blood can cause an abnormal heartbeat.
- Herbs and prescriptions can clash. The National Kidney Foundation notes that many herbal supplements interact with prescription medicines.
- Contamination happens. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, cautions that toxic amounts of lead, mercury or arsenic may be present in some Ayurvedic preparations.
“But It’s Natural”
Plenty of natural things are strong. A fruit that reliably moves the bowels is doing real work in the body, and in someone with weak kidneys, real work in the wrong direction can mean a trip to the emergency room.
The same goes for the teas, tonics and roots many of us grew up with. A remedy that never bothered your grandmother may act differently in a person taking three prescriptions with kidneys working at a fraction of their strength.
Practical Steps for Local Families
If you have kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure
Before starting any herb, vitamin blend or “cleanse,” show the bottle to your doctor or pharmacist. Pharmacists are easy to reach and can check a product against your medication list on the spot. If you are on dialysis, the dietitian at your center is another good person to ask.
If you are not sure about your kidneys
Ask at your next checkup whether your kidney function has been tested lately. The state health department advises regular testing for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or other risk factors, since people may not feel ill until the disease is advanced. This is especially worth doing if kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure runs in your family.
If you are helping an older relative
Look through the cabinet together. Make one list of everything they take, including anything a neighbor recommended, and bring it to the next appointment.
If you have already been taking something
Tell your doctor what it is and how long you have used it. Nobody is going to scold you, and they need to know.
A Fair Word About Tradition
None of this is a knock on Ayurveda or on anybody’s family remedies. The doctor who said no to that dialysis patient was an Ayurvedic practitioner applying the tradition’s own cautions. Good care, in any system, starts with the person in front of you and the condition of their body.
For those of us in Clinton and across Mississippi living with kidney trouble or looking after someone who is, the rule is easy to keep: ask first, take second.
Editor’s note: this column offers general health information only. It is not medical advice and is no substitute for a visit with a nephrologist or your own physician.
