[Kim Jaeho's Life Story]<255>The Undervalued Importance of Excretory Organs

Among the words we often use, there is the term metabolism, which refers to a series of chemical reactions that occur in the process of sustaining life in living organisms. Metabolism can be divided into three functions: first, converting nutrients in food into energy that cells can use; second, using this energy to transform nutrients into forms needed by the organism; and third, expelling the waste products generated during these processes out of the body.

In these metabolic processes, people tend to focus on the first process of energy conversion and the second process of producing necessary substances, putting great effort into ensuring these two processes run smoothly. However, there is a tendency to pay relatively little attention to the third process, which involves disposing of waste products commonly called metabolic waste. Does this mean that the excretory organs responsible for waste disposal within living organisms are less important?

The waste products generated when the body uses nutrients in metabolism include water and carbon dioxide produced from burning carbohydrates and fats. Unlike carbohydrates and fats, proteins contain not only carbon and hydrogen but also nitrogen and sulfur, so in addition to water and carbon dioxide, nitrogen compounds and sulfates are produced.

Among the wastes, carbon dioxide is expelled from the body through the lungs by exhalation, while most other wastes are expelled through excretory organs. Water is used by the body, and when in excess, it is easily expelled without any problem. However, ammonia, which is produced from proteins and is highly toxic, is either directly excreted into water by aquatic organisms or converted in the liver into less toxic urea or uric acid and expelled from the body through sweat or urine.

Humans convert most of the highly toxic ammonia into less toxic urea, which is mixed with urine and expelled, while some is excreted as uric acid. Excessive accumulation of uric acid in the body can cause problems such as kidney stones or gout. The main excretory organs in humans include a pair of kidneys where urine is produced, a pair of ureters that carry urine out of the body, the bladder, and the urethra. In addition, the liver, skin, and lungs also perform excretory functions.

Just as cleaning up trash at home or in society is usually not a glamorous task and often receives little attention, people generally do not pay much attention to excretory organs. Moreover, cancers such as kidney cancer or bladder cancer have relatively low fatality rates and the number of deaths is only a fraction compared to lung, liver, colon, stomach, or pancreatic cancers, which likely contributes to the lower level of concern.

The importance of excretory organs lies in maintaining the body's optimal condition by promptly expelling the waste produced during metabolism, which is crucial for our health. However, no matter how much this is emphasized, it may not resonate well until we see what happens when metabolic wastes are not properly processed and accumulate inside the body.

Although deaths from kidney or bladder cancer are relatively few, many people die from other kidney diseases, and the severe deterioration of kidney and bladder health significantly reduces the quality of life for many, which is a serious issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2019, deaths from kidney diseases accounted for 2.3% of all deaths, ranking 10th as a cause of death following diabetes, which is not a small number.

In South Korea, deaths caused by kidney failure, commonly called renal failure, exceed those from stomach or pancreatic cancer. Since 2019, the number of people receiving dialysis treatment due to kidney failure has surpassed 70,000. Additionally, quality of life is severely affected by various bladder diseases such as cystitis, polyuria, frequent urination, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract stones, and there are few effective treatments to resolve these problems satisfactorily.

So, how can we appreciate the value of excretory organs and prevent or cure problems that cause premature death or significantly reduce quality of life?

All cells in our body, including those in the kidneys and bladder, experience damage to up to one million DNA molecules daily out of the six billion DNA molecules that make up each cell. Damaged DNA is repaired to its original normal state by genes, which are programs inside the cells. The author calls this function the "best doctor prepared inside my body," and we need to pay attention to this best doctor.

If we maintain good lifestyle habits that create an environment where this best doctor can work well, the number of damaged DNA molecules decreases, and the best doctor effectively repairs the damaged DNA. Conversely, poor lifestyle habits increase DNA damage and make it difficult for the best doctor to repair the damage. If too many DNA molecules in cells are excessively damaged and not properly repaired, various diseases can develop in the kidneys and bladder.

Therefore, it is important to adopt lifestyle habits that reduce DNA damage in excretory organ cells and help repair damaged DNA. Commonly recommended habits include ① drinking enough water, ② refraining from alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, sugar, and foods high in saturated fats while consuming a healthy diet with adequate nutrients, ③ exercising appropriately, ④ quitting smoking, ⑤ improving high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity that damage kidney health, and ⑥ avoiding drug misuse.

Including the lifestyle habits mentioned above that help maintain excretory organ health, it is very important to have habits that reduce DNA damage in excretory organ cells and support the best doctor inside our body in repairing damaged DNA. This way of life is called Newstart (refer to Life Story Part 6).

Among the eight components of Newstart, the first life food is to eat a variety of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains in their whole form without favoring specific foods. Along with this, it is important to reduce intake of sugar, which causes many problems when consumed excessively, as well as processed or refined bad carbohydrates, saturated fats, trans fats, salt, and alcohol.

Additionally, practicing the remaining Newstart components?exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, air, rest, trust, and love?is also important.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.