An article by Dr. John R. Christopher provides a simple but complete understanding of kidney function:

“The duties of the kidneys are best described by calling them the filters of the blood.

“Your blood flows constantly through your kidneys to be purified or filtered. You might be surprised to learn that more than 500 grains of waste matter, acids and poisons have to be moved from the blood through the kidneys every 24 hours.  You can easily see, therefore, that on this filtering and eliminating depends your health to a very great extent. Let the kidneys fail to function properly and nature will call your attention to it right away.

“You will feel depressed and tired, restless at night, and pains in the back will show up. There might be scanty urine or a desire to urinate frequently. Your head will ache and many other aches and pains will be making their appearance.

“You really cannot be surprised that you do not feel well.

“Just figure your kidneys would do only half the work and eliminate only 250 grains of waste, what will become of the other 250 grains? They will be carried back into your blood and poison your system.

“Watch, therefore, your kidneys and deal with even minor irregularity promptly.

“To avoid trouble be careful with your diet.

“Americans consume daily 80 grs. of meat or nearly 3 ounces more of protein-thus attempting to dispose of about 35 grams more than we have capacity for. This overload gradually smashes the kidneys and throws them out of commission.

“Our kidneys cannot talk; they just have to stay mum until a hundred and one bodily disorders start us looking around for some mysterious cause of serious trouble. Then, as a rule, it is too late to apologize to the kidneys.”