Silent Kidney Damage: What You Need to Know

Every single day, more than 50,000 people are told that they have kidney disease - and none of them saw it coming. What if that person were you? Your first thought would probably be: "How serious is it? And can it be fixed?"

The problem is that most doctors would say that there's nothing you can do-that it's a chronic condition, and more often than not, it will get worse. But what if that isn't the whole truth?

The Hidden Reality of Kidney Disease

What if most doctors just repeat what they've been taught without really looking at the root causes of kidney disease in the first place? Because the real story is that 99% of early kidney disease can actually be reversed.

So when we talk about early kidney disease, we have to understand:

• What it is
• What are the different causes of kidney disease?

Causes of Kidney Disease

• Genetic defects (rare, little control over this)
• Infections
• Autoimmune attacks
• Kidney stones
• Kidney cancer
• Toxicity in the kidney
• Hypertension
• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes

These causes account for virtually all cases of kidney disease.

We can split them into two categories:

• Above the line (genetic) → congenital, not much control.
• Below the line → lifestyle-related, preventable, and manageable.

The bottom two causes alone (insulin resistance & diabetes) account for about 75% of all cases of early kidney disease.

Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Kidney health is measured by eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate).

• Stage 1: 90 ml/min or above (optimal)
• Stage 2: 60 - 89 ml/min
• Stage 3A: 45 - 59 ml/min
• Stage 3B: 30 - 44 ml/min
• Stage 4: 15 - 29 ml/min
• Stage 5: Below 15 ml/min (kidney failure)

Problem: Stages 1 - 2 are not flagged on blood tests even though kidney decline has already begun. Most diagnoses don’t happen until Stage 3A.

Standard Treatments (and Their Limitations)

• Stage 1 - 2: Nothing is done, despite early signs.
• Stage 3A: Blood pressure meds, metformin, or insulin may be introduced.
• Stage 3B - 4: The focus remains on related conditions, rather than the kidney itself.
• Stage 5: Dialysis or transplant are the only options.

Root Causes of Kidney Damage

The four biggest root causes:

1. High Insulin & Insulin Resistance
   • Leads to high blood sugar, inflammation, and hypertension.
   • Causes repeated kidney damage and scarring.
2. Junk Food & Poor Diet
   • Processed foods flip the natural balance of electrolytes.
   • Too much sodium, not enough potassium/magnesium.
   • Adds stress to the kidney’s mineral-balancing role.
3. Chronic Dehydration
   • Concentrates toxins in the body.
   • Increases risk of kidney stones.
   • Drinking plain water without electrolytes worsens mineral depletion.
4. Medication Overuse
   • NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) reduce blood flow to the kidneys.
   • Antacids (PPIs) trigger immune reactions and reduce magnesium absorption.
   • Certain antibiotics directly damage kidney tissue.

Preventing and Reversing Early Kidney Disease

To protect your kidneys, you should:

• Lower blood glucose & insulin → Eat whole, unprocessed foods, reduce carbs.
• Control blood pressure naturally → Reduce stress, breathe, supplement minerals.
• Hydrate smart → Use electrolytes (balanced potassium, magnesium, calcium, trace minerals).
• Eat a wide variety of whole foods → Nourishes the microbiome and supports kidney resilience.
• Avoid unnecessary medications & toxins → Use the minimum needed, avoid over-the-counter abuse.

If you really understand these four root causes and take action, you can prevent the vast majority of kidney disease. And if caught early, it can often be reversed.

You can also watch the video from Dr. Sten Ekberg here.