Your kidneys keep serum potassium levels within a very narrow range and prevent them from getting too high or too low. The kidneys of patients with chronic kidney disease are less able to perform this function so their potassium levels start to increase. If this happens, nephrologists recommend a low-potassium diet to prevent the life-threatening consequences of high serum potassium.
Guidelines
High serum potassium levels produce a condition called hyperkalemia. If you develop hyperkalemia, your nephrologist will tell you how much potassium you can safely consume. The National Kidney Foundation reports that nephrologists often recommend that patients lower their potassium consumptions to 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day to manage this condition. The NKF does not have specific guidelines for managing hyperkalemia in infants and young children, but suggests that lowering potassium intake to between 40 and 120 mg might be a good place to start.
High Potassium Foods
The NKF defines high-potassium foods as those with more than 200 to 250 mg per serving. Under this definition, spinach, acorn squash, cooked lentils, split peas or kidney beans are all high-potassium foods because they all have more than 700 mg of potassium in a 1-cup serving. A single long potato has 896 mg. Other high-potassium foods with more than 500 mg per serving are 1/16 of a watermelon, 1/2 cup of raisins, 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 cup of orange juice.
Strategy
You can lower the potassium content of high-potassium root vegetables, such as potatoes, squash and sweet potatoes, by cutting the vegetable into very small pieces and soaking them for at least four hours in a volume of very hot water that is 10 times greater than the volume of the vegetables. Rinse well after soaking and cook by boiling. According to the NKF, this pre-soaking lowers potassium content by 50 to 75 percent.
Warning
Failure to lower serum potassium can have serious consequences. Nerves only fire if potassium levels on either side of the cell membrane are within a particular range. If serum levels are too high, the nerve is unable to fire. The failure of the nervous system causes irregular heartbeats. This is a true medical emergency that requires hospitalization to get potassium levels down.
Meal-planning
Italian dishes that contain low-potassium peppers, mushroom and onions, with a minimum of tomato sauce, are good low-potassium choices. Rice and products made from white flour, such as pasta and bread, can round out a meal. Apple juice is a safe beverage, as is ice water with a slice of lemon. Low-potassium desserts include apples and pineapples.
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