Foods You Must Avoid During Chronic Kidney Disease
A healthy diet is important for ensuring proper functioning of body organs and longevity.Individuals with kidney disease (renal disease) are advised to consume a healthy diet. There are a number of food restrictions for renal disease. The food should not contain any element that can stress the kidneys and lead to serious damage. Food restrictions may get stricter as the condition advances.
Here are some of the foods you should avoid to prevent worsening of chronic kidney disease:
Canned Foods
It is important to avoid canned foods including vegetables, soups, corn; beans etc. These foods are usually preferred for their low cost and convenience. Unfortunately, canned foods are high in sodium (added as a preservative to increase shelf life). Excess sodium can be detrimental for individuals with kidney disease avoid. Hence, it is recommended to restrict their consumption.
Fruit Juices
Kidney patients should avoid all sugar-sweetened beverages including fruit juices. These drinks are loaded in added sugar. It leads to rapid spikes in blood sugar. Diabetes affects ability of body to absorb sugar properly. Persistent high blood sugar levels will lead to severe health complications. Packaged fruit juices are loaded with potassium. Hence, it is advised to avoid canned, packaged and even fresh fruit juices.
Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol is not good for liver. Bad effects on liver can have serious impact on kidneys. Kidneys need to make efforts towards compensating for the injured liver which have a bad on their normal functioning. Alcohol dehydrates body which affects filtering capacity of kidneys. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure levels and damage kidneys.
Dried Fruits
Patients with chronic kidney diseases should avoid consuming dried fruits. These are concentrated sources of varied nutrients found in fresh fruits. Having dried fruits will exceed recommended daily doses of nutrients. Some of the dried fruits you should ignore include prunes, apricots, raisins, and dates. All of these are loaded with potassium.
Animal Products
If you are diagnosed chronic kidney disease, avoid high protein foods such as fish, red meat, egg, and poultry. Protein is an important ingredient for body. It facilitates healthy muscle building and tissue repair. However, protein has a tendency to leave behind waste for body to eliminate. This means kidney need to work harder and may accelerate kidney damage process. Protein is still essential for your body which you can get from fruits and vegetables. You may also add low-sodium pasta, breads, and rice into your diet to make up for your daily dose of protein.
Packaged Snack Foods
Strictly avoid snack foods sold in fancy packages such as pretzels, chips, crackers, etc. These are high in salt and refined carbs and inappropriate for those with kidney disease. Packaged potato chips are loaded with other minerals, such as phosphorous and potassium due to presence of additives. Make sure you restrict consumption of snack foods. You can add healthy homemade snacks free of preservatives into your daily diet.
Sodas & Aerated Beverages
You should stay away from aerated drinks and sodas (especially dark-colored varieties). These are not good for kidney diseases. All dark-colored sodas are loaded with phosphorus. Kidneys in healthy condition can eliminate excess phosphorus from the blood easily. However, this is not the case with individuals suffering from renal disease. High blood phosphorus levels will increase risk of heart disease risk and even weaken bones. In many cases, it may even become a reason for early death.
Lentils and Beans
These foods are healthy and convenient to add into daily diet. Rich in protein, these can help add protein to your diet. Individuals with kidney disease should avoid beans and lentils (freshly prepared and canned). Fresh are high in phosphorus content and canned versions are loaded with sodium.
Foods Rich in Calcium
Individuals with renal disease should strictly avoid foods rich in calcium. Calcium is tough on the kidneys. So make sure you avoid foods containing calcium such as dairy products. Avoiding these foods will help you maintain phosphorus and calcium levels in your diet. In case, you are having calcium or vitamin D supplement, speak to your doctor as he may ask you to stop taking these medicines.
Brown Rice
Brown rice is a whole grain. It is not easy to digest brown rice. The food is higher potassium and phosphorus content as compared to white rice. A cup of cooked brown rice has around 150 mg of phosphorus and 154 mg of potassium. This is very high for patients with renal disease. Brown rice should be strictly avoided.
Bananas
Do not eat bananas if you are diagnosed with renal disease. The fruit is high in potassium content. Although the fruit contains natural sodium (in lower levels), a medium sized banana has 422 mg of potassium. In case, your doctor has asked to reduce intake of potassium, do not add bananas to your diet. Banana should not be a daily staple for you.
Avocados
Avocados are nutritious. These are rich in heart-healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants. However, avocados should not be added to the diet if you have kidney disease. Avocados are loaded with potassium (damaging for kidneys). An average-sized avocado has 690 mg of potassium which can be detrimental for kidney patient. You can reduce portion size to around one-fourth. Since these are also rich in guacamole restricting the amount you have will help you to maintain healthy kidney functioning.
In a Nutshell
A chronic kidney condition can prove to be a serious health issue. It is important to maintain a healthy diet under the guidance of a doctor. Avoiding the above listed food will help you to keep kidneys healthy.
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