Know Your Kidneys

Your kidneys play a vital role in ayour body. Without them, you would struggle to process toxins, and this would have a devastating impact on your health.

Take the Test

How Your Kidneys Work

Your kidneys play a vital role in your body. They work hard to clean your blood and create urine (wee) for you 24 hours a day. Without working kidneys, you would struggle to process toxins and get rid of waste, and this would have a devastating impact on your health.

Healthy kidneys contain about one million tiny units, called nephrons, which filter the blood. The nephrons remove extra fluid and wastes, which are collected in the bladder before leaving the body as urine (wee). Kidneys work to:

Clean your blood – Kidneys filter and circulate a fresh supply around your body 12 times every hour. This works out to a total of around 200 litres of cleaned blood per day.
Create urine (wee) – Kidneys get rid of excess fluid, unwanted chemicals, and waste in your blood. These are flushed in the one to two litres of urine that you pass each day

It’s important to keep your kidneys healthy so they can perform these important tasks throughout your life. If your kidneys are not healthy, other organs in your body may suffer and this could lead to further health issues. Check out how your kidneys are connected to your heart and diabetes

Learn About Your Kidneys

Your Kidneys Are Vital

Your kidneys are located near the middle of your back, on either side of your backbone (spine). They are protected from physical injury by a large layer of fat, along with your lower ribs and back muscles.

They are bean-shaped and each one is the size of an adult fist (about 150 grams). Most people are born with two kidneys, but around one in every 1,000 people are born with just one. The good news is that you can still lead a healthy life with just one. One kidney alone can provide up to 75 per cent of normal kidney function.

In addition to filtering wastes and cleaning your blood, your kidneys play a role in:

Controlling blood pressure – Kidneys keep your blood pressure regular by releasing renin, a hormone that affects the size of your blood vessels and blood pressure. Kidneys also flush out extra fluid and salts that can raise your blood pressure.
Keeping your bones strong and healthy. Kidneys assist with activating Vitamin D, which is crucial for building strong bones and helping with calcium absorption.
Balancing salt and other minerals – Salt plays a role in keeping you hydrated and your blood pressure stable. Kidneys also balance calcium and phosphate, minerals needed by your bones, nerves, and cells.

Read on to find out how to keep your kidneys healthy.

If you’d like to know whether you’re at risk of kidney failure in the future, you can also take our Kidney Risk Test.

Understanding the Process

Learn About Your Kidneys

Understand how your kidneys function and why they’re vital for filtering waste, balancing fluids, and supporting overall health.

Identify Your Risk

Take a simple kidney risk test or consult your doctor to check for early signs of kidney disease.

Take Action Early

Adopt healthy habits such as staying hydrated, eating balanced meals, and getting regular check-ups to protect your kidneys for life.