Nothing can replace the health benefits of a good diet and exercise plan, but sometimes your body needs some extra assistance to stay in peak condition. This is where dietary supplements can come into their own, by providing you with additional nutrients to support healthy organ function and maintain your blood pressure.
What do the kidneys do?
Kidneys play a vital role in the human body as they act as a filtration system. They fulfil this function by filtering blood (about half a cup every minute!). During this filtration process, excess wastes and water are filtered out of the blood to create urine. This urine subsequently flows via two thin tubes known as ureters down into your bladder. From there urine is stored until you need to pee.
But, how exactly do the kidneys filter blood? The answer lies in what are known as nephrons.
Inside each kidney are around a million of these small filtering units. Each of these nephrons has a glomerulus, which filters your blood, and a tubule, which reintroduces remaining nutrients into your blood (NIDDKD, 2018). This is a vital function to ensure your blood maintains the right pH levels, delivers essential nutrients around the body, and keeps bodily systems running correctly.
What is high blood pressure (hypertension)?
High blood pressure is something you’ve likely heard mentioned, but it’s not always given the attention it’s due because of frequent asymptomatic presentation. That is to say, a lot of people who have high blood pressure don’t know they have it.
According to the NHS, around 30% of the adult population has been diagnosed with high blood pressure, or to use the clinical name, hypertension. However, as described above, many people don’t realise they have it. According to the World Health Organisation, around 46% of adults with hypertension are unaware that they have the condition.
High blood pressure is intrinsically linked with poor organ health (Flores, Lopes & Caridade, 2023), and can increase the risks of developing further conditions like heart or kidney disease. But, there are steps you can take to manage your blood pressure – and in turn your renal (a.k.a. kidney) health.
What is good for kidney health?
But, outside of a balanced diet, what else can you do to maintain kidney health? For some people, the answer is supplementation of multivitamins containing ingredients that can potentially support renal function. But, what exact ingredients should you be looking at? Below, the Supplement Needs team takes you through some of the top natural ingredients that have been linked with maintenance of kidney function.
Astragalus root
Often known in English as Chinese or Mongolian milkvetch, astragalus membranaceus, or just Astragalus, is a flowering plant native to northern and eastern China, Mongoli, and Korea.
Astragalus has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries to strengthen the body's resistance to disease by enhancing the immune system, and help protect from seasonal allergies. In the West, it’s more commonly being used within nutritional supplements to potentially protect heart and kidney health.
Part of this is because astragalus is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, reducing free radical build-up and managing chronic inflammation.
Studies concentrating on kidney health, particularly treating kidney diseases, have shown promising results around the benefits of Astragalus. One study suggests that Astragalus helps to improve eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) in patients with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (Yoshino et al, 2022). By supporting the filtration rate, Astragalus can help kidneys to function properly.
In a different systematic review (Liu et al, 2024), Astragalus was shown to have a promising positive impact on diabetic kidney disease. By comparing studies, the prevailing results suggest that Astragalus reduced inflammation and fibrosis, improved oxidative-stress markers, blood glucose, and lipid content, amongst other effects.
In simpler terms, Astragalus helps to protect kidneys from inflammation and damage from unstable atoms (free radicals) and tissue thickening (fibrosis).
Tip - when looking at heart and kidney supplements that contain Astragalus, make sure you choose a supplement that uses the root of the plant. Cheaper supplements will use the leaves or other parts of the plant. As you’d expect, Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack contains Astragalus from the root!
Goldenrod
Part of the sunflower family, Goldenrod (genus name: solidago) has a long history of being used to alleviate kidney stones, urinary tract infections, and many other kidney-related complaints (Cupisti et al, 2023).
Whilst more research is required on the topic, current understanding suggests that Goldenrod is a strong ingredient for kidney supplements because it contains high levels of flavonoids – particularly Quercetin and Kaempferol. These both have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective qualities.
Flavonoids are natural compounds found in plants that have shown to have a positive effect within the body. In terms of their efficacy in kidney health supplements, studies show that Kaempferol ‘significantly reduced renal inflammation, fibrosis and kidney dysfunction in diabetic mice’, and also improved renal injury (Cao et al, 2022).
In the same review, flavonoids were shown to be antihypertensive, which means they can help to reduce elevated blood pressure – which in turn reduces the risks of further kidney damage.
Our premium Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack is expertly formulated with ingredients like Goldenrod to protect and manage your kidney health and blood pressure.
Potassium Citrate
Nephrolithiasis (or kidney stones) is a condition where waste products from the blood crystallise in the kidney, potentially combining to form hard stones. It’s incredibly common amongst the adult population, with the NHS estimating that at least one in 10 people will develop kidney stones during their lifetime.
Fortunately, the majority of kidney stones are small, and easily passed when you urinate – although larger stones may require more intervention. However, nearly half of the people who do develop kidney stones experience them again within five years, so it’s worth exploring kidney supplements to potentially help prevent kidney stone formation.
One of the main ingredients to counteract nephrolithiasis formation is Potassium Citrate. A type of salt, Potassium Citrate acts as a urinary alkalinising agent for nephrolithiasis prevention. Potassium Citrate can also prevent calcium kidney stones by ‘increasing the urinary citrate levels, which in turn binds with calcium and inhibits the crystallisation, thus reducing stone formation’ (Phillips et al, 2015). Also; bear in mind that for every 50 point increase in uric acid, blood pressure elevation is to be expected.
In simpler terms, Potassium Citrate makes your urine less acidic and reduces the amount of available calcium, preventing the formation of larger stones.
Carefully researched and formulated by Dr. Dean St Mart PhD, Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack contains 600 mg of Potassium Citrate per eight capsule serving.
Juniper Berry Extract
One of only a few spices derived from conifers, juniper berries (juniperus communis) are a common ingredient of European cuisine, including imparting the distinctive flavour of gin.
From a medicinal perspective, juniper berries are associated with treating stomach and intestinal complaints, as well as alleviating urinary tract infections and kidney stones – making this a popular kind of ‘nutraceutical’ (which explores areas where food and medicine can interact, and is particularly common in holistic remedies).
With regard to juniper’s renal protective qualities, the prevailing thought is that the high antioxidant content of juniper lowers the risk of potential damage. Kidneys are vulnerable to oxidative stress from hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and other byproducts from filtration (Ozbek, 2012). The antioxidants in juniper berries, including carotenoids, have ‘the ability to easily activate metabolic detoxification pathways, reducing the risk of appearance of several chronic and degenerative disorders’ (Gonçalves et al, 2022).
What this means is that the anti-oxidising compounds within juniper can trigger the body’s response to fat-soluble substances and filter out waste.
Juniper Berry Extract may also have the potential to help dissolve kidney stones. Whilst more research is needed, there have been promising findings that suggest concentrated Juniper Berry Extract could reduce urinary stones derived from a range of minerals (Gonçalves et al, 2022).
Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack has been formulated to include 75 mg of Juniper Berry Extract per eight capsule serving (based on a 4:1 fruit extract).
Glutathione
If you’re looking for additional protective kidney supplements, Glutathione is a strong contender. This substance is involved in several vital processes, including tissue building and repair, chemicals and protein synthesis, and antioxidation and detoxification (Averill-Bates, 2023). In fact, it’s often referred to as the body’s ‘master antioxidant’.
The kidneys require a consistent supply of Glutathione to maintain healthy performance (Lushchak, 2012). This is primarily because Glutathione is a tremendously powerful antioxidant which ‘plays critical roles in maintenance of cellular redox homeostasis and drug metabolism’ (Lash, 2009).
Cellular redox homeostasis is the technical term that describes the process of maintaining a balance between reducing and oxidising reactions on a cellular level (where atoms gain or lose electrons respectively). This balance is important to reduce potential damage from unstable atoms (a.k.a. free radicals).
Antioxidants also protect kidneys from the high levels of oxidative stress they’re exposed to as they filter waste ready for excretion. Glutathione ‘directly reacts with ROS, RNS, and other reactive species,’ and is ‘involved as an antioxidant in the detoxification of products from ROS-promoted oxidation of lipids’ (Lushchak, 2012).
Discover Liposomal Glutathione from Supplement Needs to support your kidney health.
What supplements are good for blood pressure?
Another way you can support renal health is by maintaining a healthy blood pressure.
‘Hypertension is the second-most common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD)’ and ‘CKD is a common cause of resistant hypertension’ (Sternlicht & Bakris, 2017).
So, by ameliorating one, you’re improving the other. At Supplement Needs, our kidney and blood pressure supplements have ingredients that complement each other to maximise the potential benefits to your health.
Beetroot Extract
The rise of beetroot as a ‘functional food’ in recent years has generated a push for its inclusion in a range of supplements. The main reason for this is that beetroot is high in biologically active compounds, like dietary nitrate.
Nitrates are vasodilators, which means they help blood vessels to relax and widen. This reduces the pressure put on vessel walls and allows blood to flow around the body easier.
According to several studies explored in a systematic review (Chen et al, 2021), nitrates found in beetroot can help to reduce hypertension, regulate vascular function, and even have a positive impact on vascular stiffness.
Effectively, the nitrates found in beetroot extract can relax and maintain your blood vessels, which helps to lower your blood pressure.
Beetroot may also demonstrate a protective effect on kidney health. According to the same review, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic qualities of beetroot extract can protect the kidneys from drug-induced toxicity damage.
Want to supplement your diet with Beetroot Extract? Then try Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack powder. This contains 1,500 mg (per 6 g serving) of Beetroot Extract which is derived from the root of the plant.
Hawthorn Berry Extract
Another ingredient commonly found in traditional medicinal recipes, Hawthorn (crataegus) has been associated with aiding digestion or improving cardiovascular function and health. It’s this latter quality that’s important for blood pressure supplements, and something that has been extensively researched over the past several years.
Consistent supplementation with Hawthorn has been linked with reduced blood pressure, particularly with those already experiencing hypertension (Cloud, Vilcins, McEwen, 2020). This could be due to a variety of effects Hawthorn has on the body. Further research, (Wu et al, 2020) has shown that hawthorn can potentially:
- Reduce blood lipid concentration.
- Promote plaque stability.
- Reduce oxidative stress.
- Protect the endothelium.
- Reduce inflammation.
Or, put more simply, Hawthorn contains active ingredients that can help to reduce fatty build-ups in your blood vessels, protect your heart and vessel walls, and reduce damage from unstable atoms and chronic inflammation – all of which is a boon to any blood pressure supplement.
Easily add Hawthorn Berry Extract to your diet with Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack, with it containing an impressive 900 mg of Hawthorn Berry Extract per eight capsule serving.
Choosing the best kidney and blood pressure supplements
As you’ll often hear us say, “not all supplements are created equal”, and that’s for good reason! Far too many supplement are pushed out to the market without any deep research, thought or consideration.
Supplement Needs products are different. Here’s why:
Expert knowledge
Supplement Needs’ products are researched, formulated and backed by Dr. Dean St Mart PhD.
With a double first class honours in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and a PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry and Fluorescence Spectroscopy, all of our supplements are designed, formulated, and researched by Dr Dean to deliver you the best results possible.
What other supplement brands can say the same?
High-quality manufacturing
When it comes to taking new kidney health and blood pressure supplements, you should always consider how they’re manufactured.
At Supplement Needs, all of our products are manufactured in the UK according to stringent Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and global ISO standards that emphasise safety, quality, and consistency.
Ingredient transparency
Knowing exactly what is in your supplements is a standard we feel incredibly strongly about at Supplement Needs.
That’s why we adhere to a strict policy of ingredient transparency. Within our range, not only will you find out dosage and ingredients, but also which genus and part of the plant, or mineral composition, our supplements are made from. Again, this is something that few other supplement brands bother to do!
Our knowledge and experience is applied across our entire supplements range, and they can often work together to support your overall health. Pick up our Advanced Health Stack today, or discover more products from our collection of Health Supplements.
Don’t wait until tomorrow: invest in your future health today
With many of our supplements costing only around a pound per serving (e.g. Supplement Needs Kidney and Blood Pressure Stack), they offer amazing value, whilst providing you with the highest-quality supplementation.
So, if you want the best supplements that are incredibly competitively priced, shop at Supplement Needs now.
Buy online today for free delivery over £20 - and with worldwide shipping and same day dispatch on orders placed before 3pm (Monday - Friday).