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Condition

Kidney Health

Kidney health describes how well your kidneys filter waste, balance fluids, and keep blood pressure and minerals in check, work that chronic kidney disease can quietly wear down. Among supplements, omega-3s, resveratrol, and sodium bicarbonate have moderate evidence, and in resveratrol studies blood urea nitrogen went down, while a review of intravenous glutamine found no clear difference in deaths. Those resveratrol effects were small, and evidence for the rest is thinner.

Sources: PMID 39447274

Supplements studied
11
Medicines and peptides
1
Graded outcomes
6
Trials
12
People studied
28,140

Evidence by supplement

  • Strong
  • Moderate
  • Limited
  • Very limited

11 supplements

Resveratrol

Resveratrol: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

Small Decrease

Improves (the measure goes down)Small effect894 people
Kidney FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)2 studies135 people

Studies that measured kidney function

Serum AlbuminImproves (the measure goes up)516 people
Uric AcidImproves (the measure goes down)353 people

Chromium

Chromium: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Kidney Function

No effect

NoneNo effect1 study32 people

Studies that measured kidney function

WeightImproves (the measure goes down)12 studies32 people

Studies that measured weight

and 9 more on the Chromium page

Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies32 people

Glutamine

  • All-Cause Mortality
  • Ammonia: changes; see studies
  • Creatinine: improves
Glutamine: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
All-Cause Mortality

No effect

NoneNo effect1 study5,059 people

Studies that measured all-cause mortality

AmmoniaChanges; see studies1 study30 people

Studies that measured ammonia

CreatinineImproves (the measure goes up)1 study30 people

Studies that measured creatinine

HematocritImproves (the measure goes up)30 people
Kidney FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)30 people
Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies30 people
UreaImproves (the measure goes up)30 people
White Blood Cell CountImproves (the measure goes up)30 people

Creatine

  • Bilirubin
  • Kidney Function: improves
  • Creatinine: improves
Creatine: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Bilirubin

No effect

NoneNo effect1 study23 people

Studies that measured bilirubin

Kidney FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)5 studies44 people

Studies that measured kidney function

and 2 more on the Creatine page

CreatinineImproves (the measure goes up)3 studies23 people

Studies that measured creatinine

Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies23 people
UreaImproves (the measure goes up)23 people

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

  • Kidney Function
  • Liver Enzymes: changes; see studies
Conjugated Linoleic Acid: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Kidney Function

No effect

NoneNo effect20 people
Liver EnzymesChanges; see studies2 studies20 people

Studies that measured liver enzymes

Vitamin C

  • Uric Acid: improves
Vitamin C: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Uric AcidImproves (the measure goes down)2 studies1,013 people

Studies that measured uric acid

Dandelion

  • Diuresis: improves
Dandelion: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
DiuresisImproves (the measure goes up)1 study17 people

Studies that measured diuresis

N-Acetylcysteine

  • Kidney Function: improves
N-Acetylcysteine: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Kidney FunctionImproves (the measure goes up)1 study21,580 people

Studies that measured kidney function

Reishi

  • Proteinuria: improves
Reishi: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
ProteinuriaImproves (the measure goes up)1 study14 people

Studies that measured proteinuria

Cat's whiskers

  • Diuresis: improves
Cat's whiskers: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
DiuresisImproves (the measure goes up)1 study80 people

Studies that measured diuresis

Astragalus

  • Diuresis: improves
Astragalus: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
DiuresisImproves (the measure goes up)1 study12 people

Studies that measured diuresis

Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context

These are not supplements. Most need a prescription, and some are research compounds with no approved use. They are listed so the supplement evidence above can be read against them.

1 medicine or peptide

Bacitracin

  • Systemic Nephrotoxicity: worsens
Bacitracin: outcomes studied for Kidney Health
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Systemic Nephrotoxicity

SAFETY CONCERN: Systemic administration causes severe nephrotoxicity - reason for topical-only use restriction. Parenteral use abandoned. Excreted 87% renally within 6 hours. Topical absorption negligible.

Worsens (the measure goes up)Large effect4 studies

Key findings

  • Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)ResveratrolImproves (the measure goes down)
  • Kidney FunctionChromium
  • All-Cause MortalityGlutamine

The Kidney Health & Function Support protocol

2 primary supplements · 7 supporting supplements

See the full protocol

Shop the evidence-backed picks

The supplement graded A or B for Kidney Health. Each opens the products we list for that supplement.

  • Grade B

Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure

Studies cited

40 studies from PubMed

  1. A classic antibiotic reimagined: Rationally designed bacitracin variants exhibit potent activity against vancomycin-resistant pathogensACS Infect Dis, 2024 · PMID 38990944
  2. Chemotherapy for giardiasis: randomized clinical trial of bacitracin, bacitracin zinc, and a combination of bacitracin zinc with neomycin.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 1995 · PMID 7741168
  3. Bacitracin: a unique topical antibiotic sensitizerAm J Contact Dermat, 1987 · PMID 2963037
  4. Mechanism of action of bacitracin: complexation with metal ion and C55-isoprenyl pyrophosphateProc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1971 · PMID 4332017
  5. Association between Oral vitamin C supplementation and serum uric acid: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsComplement Ther Med · PMID 34280483
  6. The effects of vitamin C supplementation on serum concentrations of uric acid: results of a randomized controlled trialArthritis Rheum · PMID 15934094
  7. Effects of resveratrol supplementation on renal function in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol · PMID 40580309
  8. Resveratrol may mildly improve renal function in the general adult population: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.Nutr Res · PMID 36996691
  9. Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosisClin Hemorheol Microcirc · PMID 15567896
  10. Meta-analytic Techniques to Assess the Association Between N-acetylcysteine and Acute Kidney Injury After Contrast Administration: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA Netw Open · PMID 35788669
  11. Protective effect of intravenous amino acid on kidney function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Crit Care · PMID 39447274
  12. The safety of oral use of L-glutamine in middle-aged and elderly individualsNutrition · PMID 19765954
  13. Glutamine and carbohydrate supplements reduce ammonemia increase during endurance field exerciseAppl Physiol Nutr Metab · PMID 18059593
  14. The diuretic effect in human subjects of an extract of Taraxacum officinale folium over a single dayJ Altern Complement Med · PMID 19678785
  15. Effect of creatine supplementation on measured glomerular filtration rate in postmenopausal womenAppl Physiol Nutr Metab · PMID 21574777
  16. Creatine supplementation does not decrease total plasma homocysteine in chronic hemodialysis patientsKidney Int · PMID 15569335
  17. Creatine monohydrate supplementation does not improve functional recovery after total knee arthroplastyArch Phys Med Rehabil · PMID 16003653
  18. Effect of short-term high-dose creatine supplementation on measured GFR in a young man with a single kidneyAm J Kidney Dis · PMID 20060630
  19. Effects of creatine supplementation on renal function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trialEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 18188581
  20. Effects of long-term creatine supplementation on liver and kidney functions in American college football playersInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 12500988
  21. Creatine has no beneficial effect on skeletal muscle energy metabolism in patients with single mitochondrial DNA deletions: a placebo-controlled, double-blind 31P-MRS crossover studyEur J Neurol · PMID 15804248
  22. Creatine supplementation does not impair kidney function in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trialEur J Appl Physiol · PMID 20976468
  23. Effects of creatine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers after repeated-sprint exercise in humansNutrition · PMID 23800565
  24. Safety of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in a 12-weeks trial in healthy overweight Japanese male volunteersJ Oleo Sci · PMID 17898458
  25. A high intake of conjugated linoleic acid does not affect liver and kidney function tests in healthy human subjectsFood Chem Toxicol · PMID 19932729
  26. Resistive training and chromium picolinate: effects on inositols and liver and kidney functions in older adultsInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab · PMID 15467101
  27. Chromium effects on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in persons at risk for diabetes mellitusEndocr Pract · PMID 20634174
  28. Chromium picolinate supplementation for overweight or obese adultsCochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 24293292
  29. The effects of chromium and copper supplementation on mitogen-stimulated T cell proliferation in hypercholesterolaemic postmenopausal womenClin Exp Immunol · PMID 11966762
  30. The effects of inorganic chromium and brewer's yeast supplementation on glucose tolerance, serum lipids and drug dosage in individuals with type 2 diabetesSaudi Med J · PMID 11376359
  31. Beneficial effect of chromium supplementation on glucose, HbA1C and lipid variables in individuals with newly onset type-2 diabetesJ Trace Elem Med Biol · PMID 21570271
  32. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improve glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetesDiabetes · PMID 9356027
  33. Influence of chromium-enriched yeast on blood glucose and insulin variables, blood lipids, and markers of oxidative stress in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitusBiol Trace Elem Res · PMID 16632892
  34. Chromium treatment has no effect in patients with poorly controlled, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes in an obese Western population: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialDiabetes Care · PMID 16505499
  35. Role of chromium supplementation in Indians with type 2 diabetes mellitusJ Nutr Biochem · PMID 12550067
  36. Chromium supplementation shortens QTc interval duration in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitusAm Heart J · PMID 15990745
  37. Effect of resistance training with or without chromium picolinate supplementation on glucose metabolism in older men and womenMetabolism · PMID 10337851
  38. Chromium picolinate supplementation in women: effects on body weight, composition, and iron statusNutrition · PMID 17291720
  39. Studies on the individual and combined diuretic effects of four Vietnamese traditional herbal remedies (Zea mays, Imperata cylindrica, Plantago major and Orthosiphon stamineus)J Ethnopharmacol · PMID 1434681
  40. Aqueous extract of Astragali Radix induces human natriuresis through enhancement of renal response to atrial natriuretic peptideJ Ethnopharmacol · PMID 18243612

Supplement stack for Kidney Health