Dehydration fuel rise in kidney diseases

Kidney health is under severe threat in the country due to a combination of poor hydration, excessive protein intake, and high salt and sugar intake.

Other debilitating factors hampering the kidney’s function include excessive consumption of processed and fatty foods, frequent eating out and the misuse of herbal medicines.

A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Diabetics, University of Ghana, Dr Rebecca K. Steele-Dadzie, who disclosed these in a lecture, stated that those eating habits were also contributing to a sharp rise in other chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

Dr Steele-Dadzie said a worrying trend of kidney diseases, including acute kidney injury and kidney stones, was due to poor hydration, excess Vitamin C intake and unsafe traditional practices.

“Now, chronic kidney injury is a more sudden kind of loss of kidney function, and usually it’s due to an underlying cause,” she said in a lecture on the topic, “To Eat or Not to Eat: Dietary Habits and the Courting of Kidney Diseases.”

Event

The two-day public lecture in Accra last Wednesday was part of the activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the College of Health Sciences of the university.

The lecture discussed how modern dietary habits have contributed to a sharp rise in chronic diseases in the country.

The event brought together high-profile personalities from the university, including the acting Provost, College of Health Sciences, Professor Samuel Antwi-Baffour; the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research Innovation and Development, Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante; the Registrar, Emelia Naa Kwantsua Agyei-Mensah, as well as Rev. Prof. Nicholas Israel Nii-Trebi from the College of Health Sciences and Principal Dietitian, University of Ghana Hospital.

Dr Steel-Dadzie discussed some of the techniques and tactics exposing people to preventing kidney injury, starting with dehydration.

“In our part of the world, especially in the tropics, climate change makes things more challenging — sometimes as basic as getting enough drinking water. But staying healthy starts with staying hydrated,” she said.

“The kidneys cannot stand the concentration of blood if you are not drinking enough water.

Eventually, you are going to get an injury, and you are going to develop acute kidney injury. So we need to take in water,” she said.

Dr Steel-Dadzie highlighted the hidden dangers of excess sodium in processed foods, sausages and restaurant meals, linking them to high blood pressure and diabetes, while the growing consumption of saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, and sugary local beverages leads to obesity and metabolic disorders.

“Sodium is often eaten in the form of salt. And, as you take in excess sodium, what happens is you are retaining a lot of heat in your blood. And your blood volume is increasing.

And so, your heart is required to push or pump this excess blood into the various parts of your body for function, and that increases your blood pressure,” she said.

“Blood pressure or hypertension, as you saw, is one of the major risk factors of diabetes.

So, the more you eat excess sodium, the higher your risk of getting diabetes.”

Prevention

According to the Senior Lecturer, prevention hinges on balanced diets, adequate water consumption, and public education on the dangers of harmful practices.

She also advocated increased fibre from whole grains and fruits, regular hydration and adherence to Ghana’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines.

“So, as you do not take enough fruit and vegetables, these are two causes of high blood pressure.

We are putting ourselves at risk because our chances of developing high blood pressure will be high.

You all agree with me that most of the food people are eating out is either processed with some soy sauce, some ketchup, or some coloured cream.”

“And so, in our daily eating, we are gradually introducing some of these saturated fats without knowing. I mentioned saturated fat. Now, saturated fat is often obtained from animal sources,” she explained.

Case studies

Using two clinical case studies, Principal Dietitian at University of Ghana Hospital, Maxwell Bisala Konlan, emphasised that dietary habits played a critical role in the development, progression, and possible reversal of kidney disease, especially when combined with medication and early medical intervention.

He stressed that medication alone was not enough — proper nutrition can reverse early-stage kidney damage, prevent dialysis and save lives.

He added that holistic, personalised dietary changes were essential for the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease.

“Food is medicine, so let’s always promote healthy eating together with medication, and it’s not enough to just put a patient on medicine, but while they are on medicine, let’s cover another holistic care in terms of diet.

Diet really works. So let’s eat healthy and live longer,” he said.

Awareness creation

Prof. Samuel Antwi-Baffour, acting Provost of the College of Health Sciences, said the anniversary is a special milestone within the College’s 25-year legacy of excellence in training health professionals, advancing research and addressing national and global health needs.

He said the College’s vision of transforming life through excellence in education, research and health care reflected its core mission to educate, innovate and serve.

Prof. Antwi-Baffour said the theme: “To Eat or Not to Eat: Dietary Habits and the Causing of Kidney Diseases” addresses a critical public health issue; chronic kidney disease is rising sharply in Ghana and globally, driven largely by poor dietary habits.

He said the lecture series aimed to raise awareness and inspire actionable change in both policy and personal health behaviours.

“Let this not just be another lecture — let it be a catalyst for healthier choices and better lives,” he said.