What Foods Hurt Your Kidneys?

Kidneys, a pair of reddish-brown organs situated near the spine in your back within your ribcage, perform several important functions, including blood pressure regulation, balancing the fluids in your body and filtering wastes from the blood and forming a liquid called urine. Your kidneys can be hurt by high levels of protein, so you may need to reduce the amount of protein you eat to reduce kidney damage.

High-Protein Foods

A diet rich in protein may hurt your kidneys. When protein is broken down, waste products such as urea and other nitrogenous wastes accumulate in the kidneys for disposal. Eating too much protein may cause these wastes of protein breakdown to build up quickly, overloading the kidneys and increasing the risk of developing kidney disease. Examples of foods high in protein are meat, poultry and eggs.

Dairy Products

You may also need to keep the amount of dairy foods at low levels. These foods contain a special sugar called galactose; it can build up in your bloodstream and body tissues due to deficiency of an enzyme catalyzing its conversion to glucose. A harmful accumulation of galactose, known as galactosemia, can develop kidney problems, especially in infants, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center. Common dairy foods that must be avoided include milk, yogurt and cheese.

Nuts

Elevated blood levels of phosphorus can adversely affect your kidneys. Nuts are good sources of phosphorus, so they must be avoided. Kidneys are basically efficient at eliminating extra phosphorus from the blood. However, if you have impaired kidney function, your body cannot get rid of excess phosphorus, leading to a condition called hyperphosphatemia, which is typically associated with kidney failure.