What Our Kidneys Do

Our Kidneys constantly filter our blood of toxins, wastes from the breakdown of internal tissues, and materials from food that we cannot use. This blood travels from our Heart through the Aorta and into our Kidney via the Renal Artery. This blood flow through our Kidneys represent approximately 22% of total cardiac output. Our Kidneys also maintain our body's balance of water, potassium, sodium, calcium, and other minerals and biochemicals. Finally, our Kidneys release various hormones and enzymes into the body in order to regulate our blood pressure and the creation of red blood cells from the marrow in our bones. Additional information regarding our Kidneys and how they operate can be found via the National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services.