Kidney Health 10 min read·Updated 22 July 2026 Clinician-reviewed

How to Improve Kidney Function Naturally

A UK Consultant Nephrologist on the evidence-based lifestyle changes that genuinely slow CKD progression — and the myths that don't.

  • Clinically Reviewed
  • NHS & NICE Aligned
  • UK Evidence-Based
  • Last Reviewed 22 July 2026

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician

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Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

MD, MSc, PgDip (Clin Ed), FRCP, FHEA, FASN

Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician · GMC 7216325

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Direct answer

The biggest natural levers for kidney function are blood-pressure control, reducing salt to under 6 g/day, stopping smoking, hitting an HbA1c target if diabetic, avoiding NSAIDs, staying well hydrated and eating a Mediterranean-style diet. Done together, these can halve the rate of CKD progression.

Key recommendation: Blood pressure is the #1 lever — target < 140/90.

Quick answer

✓ Best choices

  • Vegetables, lower-potassium fruit and whole grains
  • Sensible portions of fish, eggs, chicken or tofu
  • Olive oil and unsalted nuts in small amounts

✓ Foods to limit

  • Added salt and ultra-processed foods
  • Phosphate additives in processed meats and ready meals
  • Sugary and energy drinks

Key takeaway

The biggest natural levers for kidney function are blood-pressure control, reducing salt to under 6 g/day, stopping smoking, hitting an HbA1c target if diabetic, avoiding NSAIDs, staying well hydrated and eating a Mediterranean-style diet. Done together, these can halve the rate of CKD progression.

Who should be cautious

People on dialysis, post-transplant, pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking prescription medication — confirm with your renal team before changes.

How to Improve Kidney Function Naturally

The 8 evidence-based kidney habits

  1. Get blood pressure under 140/90 (or 130/80 if diabetic / ACR > 70).
  2. Cut salt to under 6 g/day — read labels, cook from scratch.
  3. If diabetic, target HbA1c around 53 mmol/mol (7.0%).
  4. Stop smoking — vaping is not 'kidney-friendly' either.
  5. Avoid regular NSAIDs; paracetamol is generally safer.
  6. Stay hydrated — 1.5–2 L water daily unless restricted.
  7. Eat a Mediterranean-style diet — oily fish, vegetables, olive oil, whole grains.
  8. Maintain a healthy weight — even 5–10% loss helps.

Medications that protect the kidneys

Ask your GP about: ACE inhibitors (e.g. ramipril) or ARBs (e.g. losartan) — first-line in CKD with proteinuria; SGLT2 inhibitors (dapagliflozin, empagliflozin) — now recommended for many CKD patients with or without diabetes (DAPA-CKD, EMPA-KIDNEY trials); statins — for cardiovascular risk reduction. These are 'natural' in the sense that they work with your kidneys' biology — and the evidence base is strong.

Kidney Vitality is a daily multivitamin developed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist using renal nutrition principles. It contains no added potassium, magnesium, phosphorus or iron, and no herbal blends. See the formulation.

What does NOT improve kidney function

  • 'Kidney detox' teas, parsley cleanses, juniper, dandelion extracts.
  • High-dose vitamin C, turmeric or magnesium 'kidney support' blends.
  • Apple cider vinegar shots.
  • Extreme low-protein or high-protein 'cleansing' diets.

Some of these have caused acute kidney injury (AKI). Stick with evidence-based changes.

Tracking progress

Ask your GP for eGFR + urine ACR every 6–12 months (more often in advanced CKD). Keep a home blood-pressure log. A stable eGFR over 12 months is a real win — most untreated CKD declines by 2–5 mL/min/year. With these habits, decline can slow to under 1 mL/min/year.

Foods That 'Cleanse' the Kidneys — What Works
Related reading: Foods That 'Cleanse' the Kidneys — What Works.

Key practical tips

Designed for quick scanning — what to order, what to avoid, sensible portions, common mistakes.

  • Cook from scratch when you can
  • Read sodium labels (≤ 0.3 g per 100 g is low)
  • Take any concerns to your GP or renal team early

Clinical guidance

TL;DR summary

The biggest natural levers for kidney function are blood-pressure control, reducing salt to under 6 g/day, stopping smoking, hitting an HbA1c target if diabetic, avoiding NSAIDs, staying well hydrated and eating a Mediterranean-style diet. Done together, these can halve the rate of CKD progression.

Key takeaways
  • Blood pressure is the #1 lever — target < 140/90.
  • Salt < 6 g/day drops BP by 4–8 mmHg.
  • Stop smoking — doubles CKD progression risk.
  • Avoid regular NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen).
  • Mediterranean diet + 1.5–2 L water daily.
Kidney Diet & Nutrition Considerations

Diet is one of the most powerful tools you have to look after your kidneys. UK renal guidance points to a Mediterranean-style, reduced-salt pattern: plenty of vegetables, lower-potassium fruit, whole grains, sensible protein, beans and pulses in moderation, oily fish and olive oil. Personal targets — for potassium, phosphate, protein and fluid — should be set by your renal team based on your bloods.

Foods to prioritise

  • Vegetables, lower-potassium fruit and whole grains
  • Sensible portions of fish, eggs, chicken or tofu
  • Olive oil and unsalted nuts in small amounts

Foods to limit

  • Added salt and ultra-processed foods
  • Phosphate additives in processed meats and ready meals
  • Sugary and energy drinks

Potassium, phosphate and protein needs vary between individuals — please confirm personal targets with your renal team or dietitian. Browse the Kidney Diet Hub for more guides in this cluster.

Frequently asked questions

Can you improve kidney function naturally?

You can slow further decline and, in early CKD with reversible causes (uncontrolled blood pressure, NSAID use, dehydration, undiagnosed diabetes), eGFR can stabilise or even improve modestly. Chronic structural damage is not reversed by diet — but the rate of decline is highly modifiable.

What is the single most important thing for kidney health?

Blood pressure control. NICE targets are < 140/90 mmHg for most adults with CKD and < 130/80 mmHg if you have diabetes or significant proteinuria (ACR > 70). Every 10 mmHg reduction in systolic BP slows CKD progression measurably.

Can drinking more water reverse kidney damage?

No — overhydration does not heal kidneys, and in advanced CKD or heart failure can be harmful. Aim for 1.5–2 L/day unless your renal team has set a fluid restriction. The point is consistent hydration, not flooding.

Are there supplements that improve kidney function?

No supplement reverses CKD. But correcting deficiencies (vitamin D, iron, B12) supports general health, and a kidney-friendly daily multivitamin avoids the four ingredients renal dietitians flag: high-dose retinol, added potassium, added phosphate and added magnesium. Always discuss with your renal team if you are on dialysis or post-transplant.

What foods are good for kidney health?

A Mediterranean-style, mostly plant-based, reduced-salt diet is the most consistent evidence-based pattern for kidney health. Build meals around vegetables, lower-potassium fruit, whole grains, fish, eggs or tofu, beans and pulses in moderation, and olive oil.

Nutritional challenges in kidney disease

Many people living with kidney disease have to limit foods because of potassium, phosphate, diabetes, dialysis, appetite changes or simply the time it takes to cook from scratch every day. That can make it harder to keep daily nutrition balanced — particularly for vitamins and minerals that food alone may not fully cover.

Kidney Vitality is a UK-formulated daily nutritional support product designed by Consultant Nephrologist Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf with renal nutrition in mind from the start. It keeps doses moderate, leaves out added potassium, phosphate and magnesium, and avoids megadose vitamin A — sitting alongside a kidney-friendly diet, not replacing it.

Why Kidney Vitality fits this need

Built around UK renal guidance

Aligned with NICE NG203, KDIGO 2024 CKD guidance and DAPA-CKD / EMPA-KIDNEY trial evidence.

Designed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist

Formulated and reviewed by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf (GMC 7216325).

Kidney-friendly by design

Evidence-based, NHS-aligned, honest about what diet and lifestyle can and cannot do.

Designed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist

Ready to support your kidney health?

If you have been researching kidney health, supplements, CKD nutrition or kidney-friendly living, Kidney Vitality was developed specifically around those principles by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf (GMC 7216325). Nephrologist Developed Daily Multivitamin.

  • No Added Potassium
  • No Added Magnesium
  • No Added Phosphorus
  • No Added Iron
  • One capsule daily
  • UK GMP — BRCGS, NSF GMP, Halal
Subscribe & Save — £20.39/monthCheck your current multivitamin

✓ Free UK tracked delivery  ·  ✓ Delivered every 30 days  ·  ✓ Pause or cancel anytime  ·  ✓ Never run out

ComparisonKidney VitalityTypical high-street multivitamin
Added potassiumNoneOften included
Added phosphateNoneOften included (E338–E452)
Vitamin A (retinol)No megadoseOften high-dose retinol
Kidney-focused formulationYesNo — general population
Consultant Nephrologist involvementYes (GMC 7216325)No
UK GMP manufacturedYes (BRCGS, NSF GMP)Varies

Food supplement. Not a medicine and not a treatment for kidney disease. Speak with your GP, pharmacist or renal team before starting any new supplement, especially in advanced CKD, on dialysis, post-transplant, pregnant or breastfeeding.

Clinical reviewer

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf

Consultant Nephrologist

Acute Physician

GMC 7216325

View Full Biography

Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf is a UK Consultant Nephrologist and Acute Physician with a special interest in chronic kidney disease, AKI prevention and renal nutrition. He combines hospital practice with patient education and clinical guidance review.

View professional profile →
View Credentials
  • MD
  • MSc
  • PgDip (Clin Ed)
  • FRCP
  • FHEA
  • FASN

About this article

Written for UK patients and based on:

  • NICE guidance
  • NHS resources
  • British Dietetic Association guidance
  • Kidney Care UK resources
View methodology

Each article is researched against current UK clinical guidance (NICE NG203, NG118, NG136), NHS patient resources, KDIGO and KDOQI international guidelines, and the British Dietetic Association Renal Nutrition Group. Drafts are written by the Kidney Vitality editorial team and reviewed by a UK Consultant Nephrologist before publication. Content is reviewed on a rolling basis and updated when guidance changes.

Editorial standards

  • Clinically reviewed
  • NHS-aligned
  • NICE-aligned
  • Evidence-based
  • Reviewed before publication
View full editorial process

Every article is researched and written by the Kidney Vitality editorial team using current UK clinical guidance (NICE NG203, NG118, NG136), NHS patient resources, KDIGO/KDOQI international guidelines, and British Dietetic Association renal nutrition guidance. Drafts are reviewed for clinical accuracy by Professor Mohammed Mahdi Althaf, MD, MSc, PgDip (Clin Ed), FRCP, FHEA, FASN (Consultant Nephrologist & Acute Physician, GMC 7216325) before publication. Content is updated when UK guidance changes.

References (4)View Sources
  1. NICE NG203: Chronic kidney disease — assessment and management
  2. KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of CKD
  3. KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Nutrition in CKD: 2020 Update
  4. British Dietetic Association — Renal Nutrition Group

Medical disclaimer

This content is educational only and does not replace personalised medical advice.

Read full disclaimer

This page is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have chronic kidney disease, are on dialysis, have had a kidney transplant, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or take prescription medication, please confirm any supplement with your GP, pharmacist or renal team before starting.

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