Heat up the kettle for a kidney-friendly after-dinner sip.
Reviewed by Dietitian Katey Davidson, M.Sc.FN, RD, CPT
Key Points
- Dietitians recommend ginger tea as a kidney-friendly evening drink.
- Ginger tea can help you stay hydrated and provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
- While ginger tea can support kidney health, it’s not enough on its own.
Your kidneys are small but mighty bean-shaped organs that do a lot more than just make urine. They work around the clock to filter about a half-cup of blood per hour, removing waste and maintaining a healthy balance of water and electrolytes in your blood. They also make hormones that regulate blood pressure, produce red blood cells and support bone health.
You can help keep your kidneys in tip-top shape through healthy lifestyle habits. While no single food or beverage can protect your kidneys on its own, one small swap that may support your kidney health is your after-dinner drink. Many popular evening drinks contain added sugars or alcohol, which can be less kidney-friendly when consumed in excess.
Instead, dietitians recommend heating up the kettle for a cup of ginger tea after dinner. Here’s why this soothing beverage can be a smart choice for kidney health.
It’s Hydrating
One of the best ways to help your kidneys function optimally is to stay well-hydrated.
“Hydration is key to keeping your kidneys healthy and preventing kidney stones,” says Melanie Betz, M.S., RD, CSR. When you aren’t adequately hydrated, waste products become more concentrated in your blood, and your kidneys have to work harder to filter it out. What’s more, dehydration can signal your kidneys to activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which helps your body retain water and sodium. The downside is that this system can also elevate your blood pressure, putting additional strain on your kidneys.
Water is great, but it can get a little boring when you’re drinking it all day long. Luckily, other beverages count toward your daily fluid goal and can help keep you motivated to sip throughout the day. “Mixing up your beverages, such as with ginger tea, can help you drink more fluid overall and help prevent dehydration,” Betz adds.
It May Help Lower Inflammation
Brewing a cup of ginger tea after dinner is more than a great way to hydrate—you’re also getting some kidney-friendly compounds in each sip. “Ginger also contains gingerol, a compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties,” says Jen Hernandez, RDN, CSR, LDN. “Since chronic inflammation plays a role in kidney disease progression, spices like ginger can be a simple way to support the body without adding a supplement.”
Pair your ginger tea with a diet that also includes a variety of anti-inflammatory foods to best support your kidney health over the long term.
It’s a Kidney-Friendly Beverage
In addition to providing those beneficial gingerols, ginger tea is also a good choice because of what it doesn’t have. “Ginger is naturally low in potassium, phosphorus and sodium, which makes it one of the easier additions to a kidney-friendly diet without needing to track it closely like you would other foods and drinks,” says Hernandez.
However, not all store-bought ginger teas are equal when it comes to kidney health. “Read labels on anything you’re adding to your routine, even something as simple as tea,” warns Hernandez. “Additives like licorice, added potassium chloride or phosphate preservatives are easy to miss and can matter more than the ‘main’ ingredient.” Licorice root, for example, can shift sodium and potassium levels in the body and is not safe for someone with kidney disease, she explains.
While you can certainly buy ginger tea from the store, it’s also easy to make at home. “Just steep fresh, peeled ginger in hot water for 5–10 minutes,” says Hernandez. Jazz it up with a squeeze of lemon and some honey.
Other Tips to Support Kidney Health
Ginger tea is a great after-dinner beverage for supporting kidney health, but it’s not the only healthy habit that will give your kidneys a helping hand. Here are some other dietitian-recommended habits for kidney health.
- Eat More Plants. “No matter what your kidney-health goals are, eating a diet focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and whole-food plant proteins like beans, nuts, seeds and lentils is a great place to start,” says Betz.
- Keep Your Sodium Intake in Check. “Eating more than the recommended 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day can increase the risk of high blood pressure, kidney disease and kidney stones,” says Betz. Most of us are eating way more sodium than recommended, with ultra-processed foods like processed meats, dressings, frozen prepared and restaurant foods making up the bulk of our excess sodium intake. “The first step to cutting back sodium is paying attention to how much salt has been added to your food,” says Betz.
- Schedule Routine Health Visits. There aren’t any symptoms in the early stages of kidney disease, so you may not realize you have it. The best way to stay on top of your kidney health is to make sure you’re not missing routine visits with your health care provider. They can monitor kidney-related health factors, such as blood pressure, urine albumin and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) through an in-office exam and lab tests.
Our Expert Take
Ginger tea is a simple, refreshing way to stay hydrated after dinner, and it can be a kidney-friendly choice. Its gingerol content also provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While ginger tea can’t protect your kidneys on its own, it can help support kidney health as part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet, keeping sodium in check and staying up to date with routine health visits.