In your body, the kidneys are the “filtering system” working to remove drugs, toxins and waste products from your blood, regulate and balance fluids in your body, and release hormones that help keep your blood pressure normal. In addition to this, your kidneys help produce vitamin D, which promotes strong, healthy bones and help produce red blood cells. Kidney disease can occur for a variety of reasons, including multi organ system failure, excessive blood loss, or sepsis- a full body inflammatory reaction that can result in minimal blood flow to the organs. Below are some of the nutrients of concern when on a diet for Kidney Disease!
Protein: Protein helps to build, maintain, and repair every cell in your body, but in kidney disease, your kidneys cannot handle protein very well. Make sure to get energy from carbohydrates and fats so that the protein can be used to adequately build and repair cells. If you’re undergoing dialysis, which a process that cleans the blood (what normal kidneys do), you will need more protein because this nutrient is removed from the blood. The main sources of protein include meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, beans, and nuts. Breads, cereals, seeds, and vegetables also contain protein too.
Sodium: This nutrient works in your body to help maintain fluid balance and blood pressure. In kidney disease, too much sodium can cause a build up of fluid which can affect the heart and lungs. To find out more on sodium containing foods check out the Low Sodium Diets blog post! Note: Many salt substitutes contain potassium, which also needs to be monitored so be sure to read the ingredient labels!
Potassium: This nutrient like sodium, needs to be balanced in your body. In kidney disease, too much potassium can build up leading to heart rhythm complications, so it is important to monitor your potassium! These foods are high in potassium: Apricots, Artichokes, Avocados, Bananas, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chard, Cheese, Dates, Dried peas and beans, Grapefruit/grapefruit juice, Greens (beet, collard), Honeydew melon, Ice Cream, Milk, Nectarines, Okra, Oranges/orange juice, Parsnips, Potatoes, Prunes/prune juice, Pumpkin, Sweet potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes/tomato juice, and Vegetable juice. Foods low in potassium include: Apples/apple juice, Applesauce, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Cranberries/cranberry juice cocktail, Cucumber, Eggplant, Fruit cocktail, Grapes/grape juice, Green beans, Lemon, Lettuce, Lime, Mushrooms, Onions, Peach (canned), Pear (canned), Pineapple, Plums, Radishes, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tangerines, Water chestnuts, and Watermelon.
Phosphorous: This nutrient is needed for healthy bones and teeth, and can be found in many foods. In kidney disease, too much phosphorous can lead to itchy skin, bone weakness and breakage, or heart issues. High Phosphorus foods include Bran muffins and cereals, Brown Rice, Cheese, Chocolate, Cola beverages, Custard, Dried beans and peas, Dried beef, Ice Cream, Milk, Molasses, Nuts and seeds, Oatmeal, Oysters, Raisins and dates, Salmon, Sardines, Whole wheat breads, and Yogurt.
For more information, check out the American Dietetic Association or the National Kidney Disease Foundation!
Eat Well and Eat Happy!
