Water, rest and shade are good for kidney health too, worker study shows

September 19, 2025

Washington — Outdoor workers may lower their risk of developing kidney problems by regularly drinking water and resting in the shade, a group of international researchers say.

A team led by researchers from the nonprofit group La Isla Network studied more than 1,000 sugarcane workers during four harvest seasons in Nicaragua.

Focusing on the workers with the most difficult job – burned cane cutters – the researchers found that with regular water, rest and shade, as well as improved sanitation facilities, the percentage of those who developed kidney issues dropped to 1% by the fourth harvest season from 21% in the first season.

“When you remove the exposure, you improve the outcomes,” lead study author Erik Hansson, from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said in a press release. “This is actionable evidence for a future where extreme temperatures are the new normal.”

The study was published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.