Kidney Diet Information For Patients With Kidney Problems

If you have kidney problems, or you want to make sure you avoid having one in the future, you have to be careful about the kinds of food you eat.

The goal of this article is to give you tips on a sensible diet for people with kidney problems – whether you already have a kidney problem, or are worried you might have one in the future. Anyone who has to cook or plan meals for an individual with kidney problems will also find some helpful guidelines below. Of course, it’s important to work with the patient’s doctor for specific nutritional and dietary recommendations.

Several factors play a role in your nutritional decisions when you have kidney health challenges. Your food choices depend on several issues.

* Your current kidney health and ability to function.

* Your general health, especially any other health problems you may have.

* Your BMI, or body mass index or BMI this is important because the kidneys of overweight people are under more strain.

There are five types of food that deserve special attention when planning a diet for people with kidney problems.

Salt or Sodium

Sodium or salt is important for metabolism. It helps control blood pressure, keep a fluid balance in the body, and even influences muscle movement.

But many people use salt excessively, and it can be especially dangerous you want to stay on a healthy kidney diet.

When your kidneys are functioning normally, they filter excess salt from your bloodstream. But unhealthy kidneys fail to do this. They allow salt to accumulate.

When you have too much sodium, it causes fluids to build up, which results in bloating. This bloating often appears first in the face and joints.

Anyone who’s concerned about their kidneys should watch their consumption of

* pre-packaged dinner mixes
potato chips and salty snacks
* salted nuts
* processed foods like cold cuts
* cheese
* canned, dehydrated, or instant soup or bouillon cubes
* Processed vegetables that are packed in cans
* bacon
* It also helps to use the salt shaker lightly – if at all – during all meals.

Protein

The same advice applies to protein as to sodium. We need protein, but too much of it is bad for anyone with a kidney problem.

{A diet that contain a lot of protein can strain your kidneys by creating more metabolic waste than they can handle efficiently.

A lot of protein can be found in meat and poultry products (which includes eggs). Vegetables and grains typically include little or no protein.

Potassium

Potassium is important to the health of nerves and muscles. Too much potassium in your diet, however, can lead to an irregular heartbeat. Almost all foods contain potassium.

So if you’re concerned about your kidneys, you have to become aware of how much potassium is contained in your food choices.

Some foods contain a lot of potassium, and you should watch how much of them you eat. Foods that contain a lot of potassium include apricots, bananas, beets, bran & bran products, broccoli, cantaloupe, chocolate, and coffee.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus, like potassium, helps keep our muscles and nerves functioning efficiently. It also combines with calcium to give us stronger bones and teeth.

Kidney problems can throw your phosphorus levels out of balance. This reduces your calcium levels, and your body begins to “rob” calcium from your bones to make up for the deficiency.

But it’s also not good to have too much phosphorus in your system. It can cause skin irritation and itchiness, joint pain and brittle bones.

Here are some foods that contain a lot of phosphorus: peanut butter and many kinds of nuts, liver (both chicken and beef) cheese and caramel. Keep in mind you can get phosphorus from what you drink too. Beer and cola products have relatively high phosphorus levels.

Fluids

One of the most important metabolic functions of your kidneys is filtering fluids. Someone with a kidney problem has challenges in this area. So, it’s important to watch your fluid intake carefully as part of a healthy kidney diet.

If you consume too many fluids, it can drive up your blood pressure along with causing swelling and shortness of breath.

This is something that’s best decided through discussions with your doctor.

And remember, some fluids are consumed as solids, but they become liquids once you’ve eaten them. Ice cream leads the list here.

If you’re worried that you might have a kidney problem – now or in the future – it’s important to maintain a diet that’s good for your kidneys.

As kidney function declines, kidney dialysis or even a kidney transplant become more and more of a possibility. Eating a diet for people with kidney problems today will help you avoid having to make such choices in the future.

Related topics: healthy kidney acute kidney disease. Neal Kennedy is a former radio and television talk show host who often writes on subjects related to coping with kidney problems.?

Tagged with: diet • kidney • kidney disease • renal

Filed under: Diet

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