9. Creatine in People With Kidney Problems
Creatine is one
of the most widely used sports supplements.
For healthy adults taking standard doses, existing research generally does not show that creatine causes kidney damage.
However, the situation is different for people who already have impaired kidney
function or who are taking medications that can affect the kidneys.
Creatine supplementation can also raise blood creatinine levels because creatinine is a breakdown product of creatine. That may complicate interpretation of certain kidney blood tests.
Therefore, people with known kidney disease should discuss creatine supplementation with a healthcare professional rather than assuming that
a bodybuilding supplement is automatically appropriate for them.
Why Dose Matters So Much
Many nutrients follow a simple principle:
The dose makes the difference.
when taken in enormous amounts.
For example:
- normal vitamin A intake supports health, while excessive preformed vitamin A can injure the liver
- vitamin D is essential, but extreme supplementation can raise calcium and damage the kidneys
- iron corrects iron deficiency, but excess iron can damage organs
- niacin is a vitamin at normal dietary doses but
acts more like a medication at high doses
