Creatinine is a waste chemical that is generated by the body during normal muscle contractions. If the kidneys are functioning properly, they filter creatinine from the blood which is then excreted in the urine. Low creatinine levels usually indicate muscle loss or malnutrition, but it can also be a side effect of pregnancy. You can remedy this by adding more protein to your diet and practicing low-intensity exercise several days a week.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Increase Creatinine Levels via Diet
Step 1. Eat an appropriate amount of calories each day for your weight and height
Creatinine deficiency can indicate malnutrition; this means your body is not getting enough calories and nutrients to stay strong. Introduce a wide range of healthy foods into your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins (including meat, eggs, and dairy products).
The amount of food an individual should eat daily depends on age, height and body weight. Online you can find several sites that will help you calculate your daily calorie needs
Step 2. Increase your consumption of red meats on a daily or weekly basis
If creatinine levels are low, add more meat to your diet. Creatine found in meats, especially red meats, will raise blood creatinine levels. White meats, such as chicken and turkey, also benefit creatinine levels, but red meats guarantee faster results.
So try to incorporate steaks, burgers, pork chops, and other cuts of red meat into your diet at least 4-5 times a week
Step 3. Increase your protein intake if you are a vegetarian
Since meat generates an increase in creatinine levels in the blood, it is not uncommon for vegetarians to suffer from a lack of creatinine and more generally of proteins. Fill this gap by consuming at least once a day the sources of protein allowed by the vegetarian diet. Vegetarians can meet their daily protein needs through foods such as:
- Legumes and nuts, for example lentils or almonds;
- Yogurt and eggs;
- Whole grains.
Step 4. Take a creatine supplement if you are an athlete
Many weightlifting professionals use creatine supplements to increase muscle mass. It is a solution that the body can support if you train at least 5 or 6 times a week and do high-intensity exercises. If you take a creatine supplement and engage in low-intensity exercise, you will likely provide your body with more creatine than it actually needs.
In some cases, creatine levels can rise dangerously
Method 2 of 2: Increase Creatinine Levels by Changing Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Practice low-intensity exercise to build muscle mass
Creatinine comes from skeletal muscles. If your creatinine levels are low, do low-intensity exercise to stimulate skeletal muscle growth. The increase in muscle mass will correspond to an increase in creatinine levels. Low-intensity exercise includes, for example, running, swimming or jumping rope.
Only train for 20-30 minutes at a time to avoid over-straining your body
Step 2. Drink a moderate amount of alcohol to slightly increase creatinine levels
Alcohol has been linked to an overall increase in creatinine levels. Although it should never be used as some sort of medicine, taken in small amounts can cause blood creatinine levels to rise.
- Women should limit themselves to one alcoholic drink per day, while men a maximum of two drinks per day.
- Avoid sugary alcoholic drinks. For example, wine and dark beers are preferred.
- Avoid any type of alcohol if you have kidney disease, otherwise your condition could get worse.
Step 3. Don't worry about low creatinine levels during pregnancy
Pregnant women can experience a drop in creatinine levels due to normal hormonal changes and the fact that the body is feeding the fetus. Unless the values are dangerously low, there are no solutions to raise creatinine levels during pregnancy. Values should return to normal at the end of the gestation period.
If you are not pregnant and have low creatinine levels, ask your doctor if you would benefit from a change in diet or from using a supplement
Step 4. Avoid fasting if you have low creatinine levels
Many people fast for religious or personal reasons. Since the body receives fewer nutrients during fasting, creatinine in the blood may reach exaggeratedly low levels. If you have to fast, do it in a way that allows you to eat something every day anyway.
If you don't eat for long periods of time due to an eating disorder, talk to your doctor or psychotherapist for help
Advice
- Your doctor can order blood tests to determine what your creatinine levels are. Once the results are obtained, it will tell you if they are high, low or normal.
- Since creatinine passes through the kidneys, its levels are a primary indicator of kidney function. If creatinine levels in the blood or urine are particularly high, this could be due to poor kidney function. See your doctor and do the necessary tests to determine what your creatinine levels are.
- Although they are related, creatine and creatinine are not the same. They are two substances that occur naturally in the body and in both cases it is possible to increase their levels by eating meat. If creatine levels rise, creatinine levels will rise accordingly.
