Healthy kidney protected by fresh vegetables

Is Cadmium in Your Diet Harming Your Kidneys? What You Need to Know

Lena Kashyap in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the surprising link between dietary cadmium exposure and chronic kidney disease, and learn how to protect your kidney health."

In today's health-conscious world, we're constantly bombarded with information about what to eat and what to avoid. While many focus on macronutrients and vitamins, it's equally important to be aware of the less-discussed, yet potentially harmful, elements that can sneak into our diets. One such element is cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the environment and can find its way into our food supply.

Cadmium exposure has been linked to a range of health problems, with the kidneys being particularly vulnerable. Chronic exposure can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), a condition characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function. Given the prevalence of CKD worldwide, understanding the sources of cadmium exposure and how to minimize them is crucial for protecting our long-term health.

This article delves into the findings of a 2015 study that estimated the global burden of late-stage CKD resulting from dietary exposure to cadmium. We'll break down the key takeaways of the research, explore the foods that tend to contain higher levels of cadmium, and provide practical tips on how to reduce your risk.

What is Cadmium and Why Should You Be Concerned?

Healthy kidney protected by fresh vegetables

Cadmium is a naturally occurring element found in the earth's crust. It's used in various industrial processes, including battery production, metal plating, and the creation of pigments. Human activities like mining, smelting, and the use of phosphate fertilizers can release cadmium into the environment, contaminating the soil and water.

From there, cadmium can be absorbed by plants and accumulate in the tissues of animals, making its way into the food chain. Humans are primarily exposed to cadmium through food and, to a lesser extent, through drinking water and air. Smoking is another significant source of cadmium exposure, as tobacco plants readily absorb the metal from the soil.

Shellfish and Mollusks: Certain types of seafood, such as mussels, oysters, and clams, are known to accumulate cadmium.
Organ Meats: Liver and kidney, in particular, can contain higher concentrations of cadmium due to their role in filtering toxins.
Oilseeds: Sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and other oilseeds can absorb cadmium from the soil.
Mushrooms: Certain varieties of mushrooms are efficient at accumulating heavy metals, including cadmium.
Vegetables: Leafy green vegetables like spinach and lettuce, as well as root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, can contain cadmium depending on the soil conditions in which they are grown.

Once ingested, cadmium is slowly eliminated from the body, with a half-life of up to 30 years. This means it can accumulate over time, increasing the risk of adverse health effects. The kidneys are particularly vulnerable to cadmium toxicity because they are responsible for filtering and excreting the metal. Chronic cadmium exposure can damage the kidney tubules, leading to proteinuria (excess protein in the urine) and a decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a measure of kidney function. Over time, this can progress to chronic kidney disease.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Kidneys?

While the 2015 study suggests that the overall impact of dietary cadmium exposure on global CKD is relatively low, it also indicates that reasonable efforts to reduce exposure can have a positive impact on public health. Here are some practical steps you can take to minimize your risk:

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.10.005, Alternate LINK

Title: Global Burden Of Late-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease Resulting From Dietary Exposure To Cadmium, 2015

Subject: General Environmental Science

Journal: Environmental Research

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Yu Zang, Brecht Devleesschauwer, P. Michael Bolger, Emily Goodman, Herman J. Gibb

Published: 2019-02-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is Cadmium and why is it a concern in the context of health?

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that naturally occurs in the environment and is used in industrial processes like battery production and metal plating. It becomes a health concern because it can contaminate the soil and water through activities like mining and the use of phosphate fertilizers. This contamination allows it to enter the food chain, potentially leading to human exposure through food, drinking water, and air. Furthermore, smoking is a significant source of Cadmium. Chronic exposure to Cadmium can lead to health problems, particularly affecting the kidneys.

What foods are most likely to contain high levels of Cadmium?

Several food categories are more likely to contain higher concentrations of Cadmium. These include shellfish and mollusks like mussels, oysters, and clams. Organ meats, particularly liver and kidney, can accumulate Cadmium because of their role in filtering toxins. Oilseeds such as sunflower seeds and flaxseeds, are also known to absorb Cadmium from the soil. Certain mushroom varieties are efficient at accumulating heavy metals. Leafy green vegetables (spinach, lettuce) and root vegetables (potatoes, carrots) can also contain Cadmium, depending on the soil conditions where they are grown.

How does Cadmium exposure lead to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?

When Cadmium is ingested, it's slowly eliminated from the body, with a half-life of up to 30 years, leading to its accumulation over time. The kidneys are particularly vulnerable because they filter and excrete the metal. Chronic Cadmium exposure damages the kidney tubules, causing proteinuria (excess protein in the urine) and a decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which measures kidney function. Over time, this damage can progress to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

What practical steps can I take to reduce my Cadmium exposure and protect my kidneys?

While the overall impact of dietary Cadmium exposure on global CKD is relatively low, minimizing exposure can have a positive impact on public health. The article emphasizes the importance of being mindful of food sources that tend to have higher Cadmium levels, such as shellfish, organ meats, oilseeds, certain mushrooms, and specific vegetables. Avoiding or limiting the consumption of these foods might help. It also suggests that as a whole, dietary cadmium exposure impact on global CKD is relatively low.

How does the body process Cadmium, and why does this make it a long-term health risk?

After Cadmium is ingested, it's slowly eliminated from the body, with a half-life that can extend up to 30 years. This slow elimination means that Cadmium can accumulate over time, increasing the risk of adverse health effects. Because Cadmium builds up over the years, even small exposures can lead to health problems. This accumulation in the kidneys can lead to chronic kidney disease over the long term.