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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 24 October 2018

And 7 Renal Diet Tips. Every year millions are affected by kidney disease. Dr Anup Chaudhary, Nephrologist, and Dietician Ushakiran Sisodia, both from Nanavati Hospital, identify the right foods to help us maintain healthy kidneys and slow down progression of a kidney disease.

Dr Anup Chaudhary

Why is good nutrition important for people with kidney disease?

Good nutrition is important for people with kidney disease because malnutrition is the predominant cause of morbidity and mortality in chronic kidney disease.

How much sodium should a kidney patient have per day?

Kidney patient with blood pressure should take < 100 mg of sodium (2.3 gm of sodium) or 6 gm of sodium chloride/day.

How much potassium should you have if you have kidney disease?

It depends upon your potassium level. If it is on higher side, you must keep potassium intake to around 40 mg/day.

Which are the fruits and vegetables that have low potassium?

Fruits with low potassium –

  • Apple
  • Papaya
  • Pineapple
  • Pear
  • Guava
  • Plums
  • Watermelon
  • Cherry

Vegetables with low potassium –

  • Green beans
  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumber
  • Onion
  • Garlic

Which food items are high in potassium?

  • Spinach
  • Banana
  • Oranges
  • Dry fruits, prunes, dates
  • Mushrooms
  • Potatoes

Is too much phosphorous in food a threat to the kidneys?

Too much phosphorous in food is a threat to kidney disease progression.

Elevated creatinine level signifies impaired kidney function or kidney disease. What food should be avoided when creatinine is high?

When creatinine is high, avoid non-vegetarian sources of protein like red meat. Also cut down total protein intake to < 0.8 gm/day. (More in the dietician response below)

What should one eat when on kidney dialysis?

Once on dialysis, one should eat high protein diet including non-veg, low phosphorous diet and limited fluid intake.

What is the best thing to drink for your kidneys?

Water is the best thing to drink for kidney. In short avoid dehydration. (More in the dietician response below)

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet has shown to reduce the risk of kidney diseases. Would you recommend the DASH eating plan to patients? Why?

DASH diet is recommended as it decreases the risk of kidney disease progression which is important to avoid end stage renal disease.

What eating guidelines would you suggest to control diabetes kidney disease?

For diabetic kidney disease, not on dialysis, one should take low protein diet with low glycemic index food. Salt restriction to 4 gm/day.

Related Reading: Diet Plan for Chronic Kidney Disease

Dietician Ushakiran Sisodia

Most people know that a major function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body. The kidneys remove all the waste from metabolism such as urea, uric acid, and Creatinine by producing and secreting urine. Urine may also contain sulphate and phenol waste and excess sodium, potassium, and chloride ions. That’s why the kidneys are known as the filtering devices of blood.

There are various types and stages of kidney disease. It is important to identify what kidney issue the person is suffering from and what stage has the disease reached. The treating nephrologist and nutritionist will help make the correct dietary changes and lifestyle modifications for best outcomes when there is renal disorder.

7 Renal Diet Tips

  1. Protein: Normal recommended dietary allowance for protein is 1 gm per kg body weight but when kidney is not functioning fully, we need to reduce this quantity. Choose right amount and the right types of protein. Choose and prepare foods with low protein with a vegetarian source. Reduce intake of chicken, fish, meat, eggs and dairy.
     
  2. Salt: Restrict your salt to only 3-4 gm per day. Develop a diet regime in which you list out all low sodium foods. Sodium (a part of salt) is added to many prepared or packaged foods you buy at the supermarket or at restaurants. So check for sodium on the Nutrition Facts label of food packages. A Daily Value of 20 per cent or more means the food is high in sodium so avoid extra salty foods such as papad, pickle, farsaan. Avoid all salted nuts, frozen dinners and other convenience foods. Use running water to rinse canned vegetables, fish, meats, beans, etc before eating.
     
  3. Water: One should drink water as per urine output. You can make use of rice water or kanji water, butter milk.
     
  4. Potassium: We should follow a diet regime of low potassium. Eat only those fruits low in potassium. Avoid drinking fruit juices and coconut water. Eat all vegetables but leach it so potassium can get out of the vegetable.
     
  5. Phosphorous: Choose foods and drinks with less phosphorus. When you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), phosphorus can build up in your blood. Too much phosphorus in your blood pulls calcium from your bones, making your bones thin, weak, and more likely to break. High levels of phosphorus in your blood can also cause itchy skin, and bone and joint pain. That’s why avoid high intake of phosphorous to protect your bones and blood vessels. Many packaged foods have added phosphorus. Hence look for phosphorus—or for words with "PHOS"—on ingredient labels. For non-vegetarians, it is advisable to pick fresh meats without added phosphorus. Your dietician can recommend a phosphate binder with meals to lower the amount of phosphorus in your blood. A phosphate binder is a medicine that acts like a sponge low phosphorus and low salt.
     
  6. Always choose easy to digest foods that can give rest to your kidneys.
     
  7. Also regular blood test is advised to check all clinical parameters.