Hypertension is endemic among kidney patients because the kidneys are involved in the regulation of blood pressure. Patients often end up on four or five different blood pressure medications to control this problem. Diet also plays an important role. Sodium chloride, or ordinary table salt, raises blood pressure. Eliminating sodium chloride prevents the blood pressure spikes caused by dietary sodium. Determining which salt substitutes are best depends upon what you are cooking. Learning about your options and what salt substitutes to avoid makes navigating kidney failure easier.
Herbs and Spices
Salt may give food its savor, but a low-sodium diet need not be tasteless. Experiment with cuisines that rely on vibrant spices and herbs instead of salt to make food tasty. Indian food, with its reliance on cumin, fenugreek, ginger, cardamon, anise, coriander and other spices is a natural choice. Mexican food uses chiles, garlic, cinnamon and red pepper, all of which are good sources. These spices make good salt substitutes.
Vegetable-Based Sauces
If you can't use sodium chloride, you can flavor food with vegetable-based sauces. Consider making sauces from sauteed onions, tomatoes and garlic. Such sauces can be used with pasta, chicken, pork and other foods instead of sodium chloride.
Other alternatives include roasting red peppers in the oven, removing the skin and running them through a blender with garlic. The result is a tasty sauce that you can use with appetizers, meats and casseroles instead of salt.
Oil and Vinegar
Food can also be flavored with specialty oils and vinegars instead of salt. For example, roasted chicken with balsamic vinegar and rosemary has no need for salt. Dressing vegetable dishes with a 1/2 tsp. of sesame oil or hot chile oil and garlic adds taste without unwanted sodium. Experiment with using the oil and vinegar to make your own marinades for meat and chicken dishes.
Warning
Many "low-sodium" foods are seasoned with potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. Kidney patients with advanced disease should carefully inspect labels and avoid foods that include potassium-based additives. Potassium chloride is not a good salt substitute for patients with advanced disease because they often have high levels of potassium. Nephrologists often recommend a low potassium diet for these patients because high potassium levels can cause cardiac emergencies.
