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When you eat and drink, your body absorbs nutrients needed for fuel. Anything it doesn’t need is carried through the blood to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out excess nutrients and make urine. If you have kidney disease, some nutrients can build up and damage your kidney. A renal diet can help protect you from kidney damage.
People with kidney disease may need to control these important nutrients: sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Please discuss your specific and individual diet needs with your healthcare provider or the registered dietitian at your dialysis center. Here are some tips to follow for a renal diet. What should I know about sodium and salt if I follow a renal diet?Sodium is a mineral found in salt (sodium chloride). It’s widely used to prepare foods. Salt is one of the most commonly used seasonings. It’ll take time for you to get used to reducing the salt in your diet. However, reducing salt/sodium is an important tool in controlling your kidney disease. Here are some suggestions.
What should I know about potassium if I follow a renal diet?Potassium is a mineral involved in how muscles work. When your kidneys don’t work properly, potassium builds up in your blood. This can cause changes in how your heart beats and possibly even lead to a heart attack. Potassium is found mainly in fruits and vegetables, as well as milk and meats. You’ll need to avoid certain fruits and vegetables and limit the amount of others. Potassium-rich foods to avoidThese include:
You should also avoid:
Canned fruitsCanned fruits usually have lower amounts of potassium than fresh ones. Be sure to pour off the juice before you eat the fruit. Potatoes and sweet potatoesPotatoes and sweet potatoes need special handling to allow you to eat them in small amounts. Peel them, cut them into small slices or cubes and soak them for several hours in a large amount of water. When you're ready to cook them, pour the soaking water off and use a large amount of water in the pan. Drain this water before you prepare them to eat. What should I know about phosphorus in my diet if I follow a renal diet?Phosphorus is another mineral that can build up in your blood when your kidneys don’t work properly. When this happens, calcium can be pulled from your bones and can collect in your skin or blood vessels. Bone disease can then become a problem, making you more likely to have a bone break. Tips to limit phosphorus in your dietDairy foods are the major source of phosphorus in the diet, so limit milk to 1 cup per day. If you use yogurt or cheese instead of liquid milk, have only one container of yogurt or 1.5 ounces of cheese per day. Some vegetables also contain phosphorus. Limit these to 1 cup per week:
Certain cereals should be limited to 1 serving per week. These are:
White or Italian bread and low-salt crackers made with white flour have less phosphorus than whole-grain bread and crackers. Soft drinks contain phosphorus, so only drink clear ones. Don’t drink Mountain Dew® (any kind), colas, root beers, Dr.Pepper® (any kind). Also, avoid Hawaiian Punch®, Fruitworks®, Cool® iced tea, and Aquafina® tangerine pineapple. Beer also has phosphorus. Avoid all kinds. A note from Cleveland Clinic We all need to pay attention to what we eat. If you have kidney disease, following a renal diet gives you more control over how you feel. Work with your providers and dietitian because you’re the most important part of your healthcare team.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/06/2021. References
If you have chronic kidney disease, it is crucial to track food and fluid intake because diseased kidneys can’t remove waste products from the body as healthy kidneys can. Here are kidney-friendly foods that can help repair your kidneys and help you stay healthier longer:
Other foods that you can include:
Your kidneys' major function is to get rid of waste and extra fluid from your body through your urine. They also balance the body’s minerals and fluids and make a hormone that regulates your blood pressure. A kidney-friendly diet will help protect your kidneys from further damage. You must limit some food and fluids, so other fluids and minerals such as electrolytes do not build up in your body. Also, you must ensure that you are getting the right intake of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals in your daily diet. If you have early-stage kidney disease, there are a few food items you must limit. But as your disease worsens, you must be more careful about your daily food intake.
If you have diabetes along with kidney disease, you need to control your blood sugar to prevent more damage to your kidneys. A diabetic diet and a kidney-friendly diet share a lot of the same food items, but there are some important differences. There are some ways your kidney-friendly diet and diabetic diet can work together. Below are a few food items that are good for you, if you’re diagnosed with both diabetes and kidney disease.
Your doctor and/or dietician will help you to create a meal plan that helps you control your blood sugar level while limiting sodium, phosphorus, potassium, and fluids in the body. See Slideshow
Many food items that are part of a typical healthy diet may not be right for you if you’re suffering from kidney disease. If you are diagnosed with kidney disease, your doctor may recommend limiting certain food items such as:
Depending upon the stage of your kidney disease, your doctor will advise you to reduce the potassium, phosphorus, and protein levels in your diet.
People suffering from kidney disease should avoid potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, avocados, apricots, and more. Most fruits are not harmful in individuals with healthy kidneys. When the kidneys are damaged or people suffer from a renal disease, the filtration process is disrupted and waste products are retained in the body. Accumulation of waste or toxic substances in the blood may further damage the kidneys.
The kidneys are essential organs of the body that perform multiple functions, such as:
Although fruits are typically quite beneficial to have in the diet, certain fruits are high in potassium and should be avoided by patients with renal disease, which include:
The citric acid in oranges may increase the risk of developing kidney stones in patients with kidney damage. Salt and salt substitutes that are made with potassium are to be avoided. If levels of potassium or other toxic substances increase in the body, the patient may undergo dialysis. Dialysis is a procedure used to eliminate waste products and excess fluid from the blood when kidneys do not function properly. This procedure is usually performed by redirecting the blood into a machine for cleaning.
If possible, substitute fresh or frozen fruits with canned fruits. The potassium in canned products leaches into the water or juice, thus reducing potassium levels in the fruits. If a person includes this juice in their meal or consumes it, their potassium levels may rise. The juice often has a high salt content, which causes the body to retain water. This can result in kidney issues. So, before consuming the canned fruits, they must drain the juice and rinse the fruits thoroughly to reduce the salt and potassium content. Soaking in water and rinsing the fresh fruits thoroughly before consuming helps eliminate unwanted compounds.
Patients with kidney damage or diseases may have high potassium levels in the body even after they consume the daily recommended dose. Healthy people aged 19 years and older should take at least between 3,400 mg and 2,600 mg of potassium per day, respectively. However, if the kidneys malfunction, the dose should be reduced. Hyperkalemia (high potassium levels in the body) may lead to: Consult a doctor if the symptoms worsen. By clicking Submit, I agree to the MedicineNet's Terms & Conditions & Privacy Policy and understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet's subscriptions at any time.
Medically Reviewed on 3/11/2022 Image Source: iStock Images Medscape Medical Reference American Kidney Fund https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/kidney-friendly-diet-for-ckd.html CDC https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/eat-well/what-to-eat.html National Kidney Foundation https://www.kidney.org/content/7-kidney-friendly-superfoods NIDDK https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidney-failure/eating-right Cleveland Clinic. Hyperkalemia (High Potassium). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15184-hyperkalemia-high-blood-potassium WebMD. Potassium Rich Foods. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-rich-in-potassium#1 |