What 40mg a Day Does to Your Kidneys (+171% Kidney Function)

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]In this video, a man was saved from dialysis literally overnight. His kidney function jumped up an incredible 171% improvement.

[00:00:12]How? By adding a single pill to his regimen.

[00:00:17]Katherine here, I'm a doctor of natural medicine. There are five common CKD complications that are constantly left untreated, and they can rapidly trigger the big D machine. This patient was told he desperately needed an AV fistula carved into his arm, but he refused to spend his life tied to a machine. So, he demanded a second opinion and made a shocking discovery. By making one microscopic change to his medical treatment, he didn't just avoid dialysis, he almost tripled his kidney function. This man was not being forced onto dialysis because his kidneys were destroyed beyond repair. Nope. Like millions of others, he was being strapped to the machine because of a completely treatable complication. And the exact same terrifying mistake could be happening to you right now. Let's expose the five most dangerous complications of CKD and exactly how to beat them. Starting with a complication so incredibly common most doctors are actually shocked when you don't have it.

[00:01:24]Number five is anemia. Anemia is a common blood disorder in which you don't have enough blood cells in your blood.

[00:01:32]And that's clearly bad for your kidneys.

[00:01:34]I mean, they kind of need blood, don't they?

[00:01:38]And well, your other organs need blood as well. In fact, the most common symptoms of this dialysis complication include feeling tired all the time, pale skin and hands and feet that are always cold. Headaches, shortness of breath, hair loss, these are also caused by anemia. Look, this disorder is so dangerously common that even if you just have one of these symptoms, you must investigate it because let me hit you with a terrifying statistic. Up to 87% of certain CKD groups are walking around with anemia right now. But, up to 78% of them, they are getting absolutely zero treatment.

[00:02:22]What this mean is that there is a huge number of CKD patients that are not receiving treatment for a kidney killer complication. Are you starting to see why the number of patients starting dialysis grows with each passing year?

[00:02:36]Now, guys, these are just cold hard numbers. I get it. But, listen, this is a serious problem. It needs more awareness. Listen, each and every single time a new patient walks into my office, the very first thing I rip open is their complete blood count. All right. Why?

[00:02:52]Because I have caught so many undiagnosed life-threatening nutritional deficiencies just by glancing at that one simple panel, I could probably publish a dozen medical papers on it.

[00:03:03]So, yeah, that is exactly why I barely even say hello before I am aggressively double-checking your labs. And here's the thing, anemia can be caused by CKD itself or by a simple, completely reversible nutritional deficiency. Yeah, often it's just caused by iron or B12 deficiency, but not always. In some cases, it's impaired EPO production in the kidney. Confusing? Well, your doctor might be confused as well. No, this is not a joke. Many doctors still assume anemia to be caused by CKD all the times, while in reality, it is very often caused by a very treatable nutritional deficiency. The terrifying result, a massive percentage of patients are shoved straight into the dialysis chair for a completely treatable vitamin deficiency.

[00:03:51]So, question, what to do if you want to be part of this statistic?

[00:03:56]First of all, you absolutely cannot skip your daily renal multivitamin. When I formulated RenaBest, one of my goals was giving you an aggressive daily shield to prevent this exact deadly complication.

[00:04:09]RenaBest is loaded with a kidney safe dose of iron to crush your risk of deficiency. It also packs just enough vitamin C so your body absorbs that iron like a sponge. It's a one-two punch against anemia. Not to mention that one daily dose of RenaBest floods your system with the exact amounts of active vitamin B12 and folate, your ultimate defense against the second leading cause of anemia.

[00:04:34]Yes, RenaBest is the best renal multivitamin because it was custom engineered to save your numbers. But listen, guys, I have a super quick public service announcement to make. We had a little glitch over on our website active subscriptions unexpectedly stopped working. Oops.

[00:04:55]Yes, that means you will not receive your next automatic shipment of RenaBest unless you go create a brand new subscription right now. I know, I know, it is incredibly annoying. But to say sorry, I am giving you a 15% discount on your new subscription. Just plug in the special code you see on screen right now at checkout when you set up your new subscription at renabiotech.co.

[00:05:19]And yes, that discount applies to all of our products, not just RenaBest. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Because like I was saying, a catastrophic number of CKD patients are suffering from anemia strictly because of a nutritional blind spot. But remember, CKD itself can cause it, too.

[00:05:39]So, I want you to literally go grab your last lab results right now. Look straight at your hemoglobin level. If that number is plunging into the red and you are feeling exhausted and freezing cold, you must demand that your doctor runs a full iron panel. Make sure your iron levels are actually being monitored, all right? Remember, anemia is treatable, but you have to actively hunt it down. Just like our next silent killer. The next treatable issue that could rapidly trigger dialysis if left untreated is number four, vitamin D deficiency. This is incredibly common in CKD. So, if you thought the whole anemia in CKD situation was bad, be prepared for something much worse. Fact, up to 80% of CKD patients have a vitamin D deficiency. We are not talking about a minor insufficiency. We are not talking about slightly low levels. We are talking about a full-blown deficiency with all the bells and whistles, all right? This comes with visible symptoms.

[00:06:42]In the case of vitamin D, a deficiency can cause severe fatigue, heavy protein leaking into your urine, faster CKD progression, and bones that are about as strong as my faith in the modern healthcare system. Now guys, I want to be clear on this. This video is not about random vitamin deficiencies. No, this is all about those disorders most CKD patients are actually facing, all right? This is about the issues I see in many of my patients, which means that, yes, a disorder that can literally be cured with a basic daily vitamin is secretly destroying your kidneys right now. So, what is the fix, you ask?

[00:07:18]Should we just chug an entire bottle of Renabest? Well, absolutely not. One single capsule a day with your breakfast is more than enough. Don't take any vitamin megadose, actually. That doesn't really work because here is the massive catch. The percentage of CKD patients suffering from a vitamin D deficiency rises as kidney function declines. In stage three, about two out of three patients have rock bottom levels of this vitamin, but in stage five, more than four out of five patients have a full-blown deficiency. And no, that is not because stage five patients are just more forgetful and skipping their Rena Best. I've checked.

[00:07:56]So, what's going on, you ask? Why taking a vitamin D supplement can make all the difference for CKD stage three patients, but it won't necessarily solve the issue in stage five? Well, here's the thing.

[00:08:07]Just like anemia, vitamin D deficiency is actually a chicken and egg situation.

[00:08:12]It can be caused by poor nutrition and by the failing kidneys themselves. Okay, okay, do not panic. This can actually be solved incredibly easily as long as you know exactly where to look. First of all, if you have CKD, you must ensure you are getting your vitamin D levels tested. Do not wait for a bone to snap in half. Vitamin D is an incredibly simple, cheap test that should be completely routine for all CKD patients.

[00:08:38]If your doctor is ignoring it, you need to start asking some very loud questions at your next appointment. Now guys, the other mandatory test you need to demand if you are in stage four or five is a PTH test, all right? This specific test screens for secondary hyperparathyroidism.

[00:08:56]That is a fancy medical term for what happens when your kidneys can no longer convert regular vitamin D into the active form your body needs to survive.

[00:09:05]This is treatable, but it needs a prescription. We're talking about calcitriol, a heavy-duty hormone. Just taking a vitamin D supplement won't cut it here, not even in a very high dose.

[00:09:17]Now, I already know what you're thinking. Why aren't our doctors doing this for us? Well guys, they should be.

[00:09:24]They absolutely should. But here's the thing. Enough doctors have been dropping the ball on this that you are currently watching a YouTube video to learn how to manage your own kidney disease. Let that sink in for a moment because probably somewhere out there there is a medical school professor who is watching this same video and quietly rethinking their entire career. And yet, here we are together learning about calcitriol on YouTube. So, let's make it worth it, all right?

[00:09:52]Because here's the thing. Each and every one of the untreated complications I am mentioning today actively robs you of years of freedom from the dialysis machine. And not every patient has years to spare, all right? So, please take charge. Make sure you are not suffering from a completely preventable deficiency, especially vitamin D, which can often be fixed with just one tiny capsule a day.

[00:10:15]Okay, guys. Up next, let's expose another silent CKD complication that can literally dictate whether you stay free or end up trapped in a dialysis clinic.

[00:10:25]Number three is metabolic acidosis. Now, metabolic acidosis is just as dangerous as it's easy to treat. So, what are the symptoms you ask? Well, in CKD, it is usually chronic and it causes bone and muscle loss, all right? Now, acute symptoms like severe fatigue, nausea, or altered mental status are sometimes seen in diabetes patients who are not getting enough insulin. And this is an emergency. So, like the other complications we discussed today, never wait until symptoms are present to get treatment. Because here's the thing.

[00:10:59]Receiving appropriate treatment in time for this complication can make all the difference. It's true. There are stage five CKD patients who were able to walk away from the dialysis clinic just by receiving treatment for metabolic acidosis. And by the way, when I say treatment for metabolic acidosis, what I actually mean is sodium bicarbonate.

[00:11:20]Plus a plant-based diet, which you should be doing anyway. Yeah, you can literally treat this deadly complication with stuff you can find under your kitchen sink. So, you think that a complication that can literally melt away your muscles and your kidneys and that's treated with literal sodium bicarbonate is something city physicians are very carefully screened for, right?

[00:11:41]Wrong. A lot of patients are not getting tested for this complication and even those who are getting tested are not receiving appropriate treatment. Yeah, just wait for dialysis. The bicarbonate in the dialysate will solve it.

[00:11:55]And guys, I know we are getting a bit this topic here, but please don't lose hope. You can learn how to receive appropriate treatment very easily if you look at my slide on screen right now.

[00:12:05]So, take a screenshot or write down this number you see on screen because if you look at your lab results and your CO2 number is lower than that or worse, if you are not even being tested for CO2 levels at all, you have a massive problem. You need to get on the phone with your doctor today. You need to demand to know why on earth you are not receiving the exact simple treatment for a very serious, yet entirely curable complication, especially when the treatment is as simple as swallowing a couple of basic sodium bicarbonate tablets a day. Okay, let's move on yet another deadly complication that can be solved with a single pill. Number two is hyperphosphatemia or too high phosphorus levels. Now guys, it is completely clear that when your kidneys engines start failing, a lot of systems crash. But if your goal is actively protecting your kidneys, you absolutely must stay on top of this and phosphorus is a prime example of why. You want to leave nothing to chance. This mineral, as a natural molecule, it's actually a healthy part of the diet for the general population. But as an additive, it is one of the secret ingredients the food industry uses to make junk food taste amazing and to be shelf stable for years and they don't really care about the fact that it destroys your kidneys because here's the thing, if you have CKD, that phosphorus piles up in your blood like concrete. It causes massive arterial calcification, literally turning your flexible blood vessels to stone. It shatters your bone density and violently accelerates your CKD. So, how do you know if you are overflowing with this toxin? Well, the most common symptoms are muscle cramps, bone and joint pain, rash and itchy skin. Yeah, when this kidney toxin accumulates, it can literally get under your skin, causing something called uremic pruritus. So, onto the million-dollar question. What is the magic pill to stop the itching, stop the cramps and halt the kidney destruction?

[00:14:07]Phosphate binders. If you take a phosphate binder with your meal, it will act like a chemical sponge, soaking up the toxic phosphorus right into your gut before it can even touch your bloodstream. There are various medications that can be prescribed for high phosphorus. If you peek into your medicine cabinet and see calcium-based binders like Fosera, Calfron or calcium carbonate, you are armed and ready. Some patients even get non-calcium versions like Renagel or Renvela.

[00:14:35]And get this, calcium carbonate powder is practically dirt cheap on Amazon and does the exact same job. I mean, some patients literally just pop over-the-counter Tums from the grocery store. I don't necessarily recommend doing that blindly, but the effect is incredibly similar. Now, if you do not have a prescription yet, you absolutely must demand that your doctor looks at your labs and prescribes the exact right dose. Because even though 1,250 mg of calcium carbonate three times a day is a standard starting shield, you have to strategize this with your nephrologist.

[00:15:09]Okay, guys, it's time for our number one for today. There is something even more powerful than phosphate binders. Like I mentioned in the beginning of the video, a man was saved from dialysis with a single daily pill. His kidney function jumped from 6.7 to 18.2, which is a hugely impressive improvement. So, what medical miracle saved this man from a life tied to a machine? The terrifying complication that was making dialysis inevitable for him was edema, massive fluid retention. When your filters fail, your body turns into a flooded basement.

[00:15:45]It is a catastrophic complication of advanced CKD, and doctors will aggressively aggressively shove you onto dialysis for this exact reason. You will know if you are drowning in this fluid because the symptoms are painfully obvious, massive heavy swelling in your legs and feet. But, what was the magic pill that pulled this man back from the brink? It was a simple water pill, furosemide to be exact. It is a basic prescription diuretic that this patient desperately desperately needed. The second he finally got that prescription, the fluid waters drained, and everything changed for him. So, guys, what is the ultimate lesson here? Trusting the medical system blindly will only lead to dialysis. If you sit back, stay quiet, and just politely nod your head, you might end up strapped to a dialysis chair for a complication that could have been cured with a cheap daily pill. You cannot be a passive passenger in your own health care. You have to get informed. You have to demand your own lab results, understand your own numbers, and fiercely advocate advocate for yourself in that doctor's office.

[00:16:53]Your kidneys are fighting for their lives right now. It is time you step up and fight for them, too. Knowledge is your ultimate weapon. Use it. And if you want to see more kidney saving tips, my video appears for you, and this is all for today. Thank you for watching. God bless you all. Ciao.