The Kidney Citizen May 2018 | Page 22

Put Out the Fire! Simple Strategies to Reduce Chronic Inflammation By Jessiana Saville , M.S., R.D., C.S.R., L.D. www.kidneyrd.com DPC Ed Center Advisory Council Member What’s the big deal about inflammation and kidney disease? Chronic kidney disease is an inflammatory chronic disease. There are many factors that contribute to this inflammatory state including diet, lifestyle, and environment. In addition, once the kidneys have started declining, decreased ability to filter toxins and a variety of other cascading mechanisms further exacerbate an inflammatory state.1 For example, uremic toxins also cause oxidative stress and lead to inflammation.1 Uremic toxins have also been linked to changes in the intestinal microbiome (think of this term as what keeps your gut healthy and protects your body from 22 dangerous pathogens).1 Intestinal imbalance can then lead to more inflammation because the gut is critical in controlling inflammation. There has also been evidence suggesting that the anti-inflammatory pr