Drinking alcohol impacts many organs and body systems, including your kidneys. While an occasional drink is OK for most healthy adults, heavy consumption can have negative consequences. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how alcohol affects your kidney health.
Please note that we’re providing this overview to give you general information on this topic. If you have specific concerns or questions? Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional.
How Alcohol Impacts Your Kidneys’ Function
Your kidneys are complex, performing several important jobs to keep you healthy. They do far more than produce urine. Unfortunately, alcohol has the potential to interfere with each of these functions.
Here’s more on how alcohol disrupts kidneys’ processes:
Filter Waste from Your Blood
Kidneys act as filters, removing harmful toxins from your bloodstream. Not surprisingly, your kidneys register alcohol as a toxin. So when you drink that margarita? You’ve added to their workload.
But what happens if you have an evening of heavy binge drinking? In that case, your kidneys might not clear the toxins fast enough. When this happens, you could develop an acute kidney injury. This serious condition will likely need prompt medical attention.
Regulate the Balance of Water and Minerals
Kidneys are also responsible for helping balance water and minerals throughout your bloodstream. When you drink alcohol, your body loses more water through urination than it takes in. This dehydrating effect can create an electrolyte imbalance, disrupting your body's systems.
Produce Hormones
Your kidneys are also hormone-producing powerhouses. These hormones help stimulate red blood cell growth and regulate blood pressure. Too much alcohol can interfere with these key processes.
How Alcohol Can Indirectly Impact Your Kidneys
We’ve seen how alcohol can directly damage your kidneys. But alcohol can also harm other body organs which can impair renal function.
Here are a few examples:
Liver. When you think of chronic alcohol use, the liver probably comes to mind. That’s because the liver is the primary organ responsible for breaking down alcohol in your body. Chronic alcohol consumption damages the liver, causing conditions such as cirrhosis. As a result, a dysfunctional liver can disrupt healthy kidney functions.
Cardiovascular System. Excessive alcohol can trigger high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and heart disease. These conditions place undue stress on your kidneys. For instance, high blood pressure can damage blood vessels in your kidneys. In turn, this affects their ability to filter your blood.
Pancreas. Pancreatitis is a serious condition when your pancreas becomes inflamed. One of the risk factors for pancreatitis is chronic alcohol consumption. Pancreatitis can release enzymes that may damage nearby organs, including your kidneys.
How Much Alcohol is Too Much?
You might wonder if you can continue to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or your favorite craft IPA. The answer will depend on a few things, including your current health.
Here are some general recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
If you choose to drink, limit your intake to no more than two drinks for men and one drink for women.
One drink is 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirit.
If you don’t currently drink alcohol, there’s no good reason to start.
Drinking less is always preferable to drinking more.
Finally, some people should never drink. For instance, you should abstain if you are pregnant or under the age of 21. If you are being treated for a kidney-specific condition, please talk to your doctor about your alcohol intake.
Concerned About Your Kidney Health?
If you have specific concerns about alcohol and your kidney health, it’s best to get personal medical care. Our team of experienced, compassionate urologists are here to assist you. Please reach out to schedule an appointment today.