Your kidneys are essential to good health because they filter waste and toxins from your blood, and help regulate water and electrolyte balance in your body. Your diet can increase or decrease your risk for developing kidney problems, such as kidney failure leading to dialysis, or kidney stones. Work with a nutritionist to develop the best diet to prevent kidney problems or minimize their effects if you already have kidney problems.
Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are painful deposits of calcium-based compounds, and about one-eighth of Americans will suffer from them, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. A high-calcium diet may increase your risk for kidney stones, but the risk appears greater when your excess calcium comes from dietary supplements rather than natural food sources. Vitamin C in your diet decreases your risks for gout and the development of kidney stones, and good sources include fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, red peppers, citrus fruits, tomatoes and broccoli.
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases your risk for kidney disease, as well as heart disease and stroke. A high-sodium diet may lead to high blood pressure, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy adults should limit intake to 2,300 mg per day, and individuals with hypertension should have no more than 1,500 mg day. An eating pattern such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet may lower high blood pressure, and prevent kidney problems as a complication, and this pattern emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, healthy fats and dairy products.
Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a kidney problem which develops when you have uncontrolled diabetes, which means your blood sugar levels are frequently outside of normal ranges. To reduce your risk of developing diabetes, or to delay complications from diabetes if you already have it, maintain a healthy weight, and eat a low-glycemic diet. High-glycemic foods lead to spikes in your blood sugar levels, and frequent spikes increase your risk for kidney problems. The Mayo Clinic suggests limiting your caffeine and alcohol, too.
Preventing Progression
Your diet is important even if you already have chronic kidney disease, because what you can eat affects how fast your condition progresses to kidney failure. You may need to limit your protein intake , according to the National Kidney Foundation. Limit your sodium intake by reducing your intake of canned foods, such as soups, salty processed foods, such as cheese and pickles, and fast foods, and increase your potassium from natural sources such as fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy products and whole grains.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Kidney Disease: No Early Symptoms; Nancy Davidson and Peggy Moreland; March 2011
- MayoClinic.org: Treatment of Diabetic Neuropathy at Mayo Clinic
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Calcium; Jane Higdon; April 2003
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; January 2006
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition And Chronic Kidney Disease (Stages 1-4)
