Whether or not people with kidney disease can eat cornbread depends on what their laboratory results look like, and what else they have eaten or plan to eat on a particular day. Patients with advanced kidney disease have more restricted diets than those with normal laboratory results because diet modifications are used to compensate for the body's growing inability to regulate potassium and phosphorus levels.
Renal Diet
Navigating a renal diet can be tricky. While many patients have no dietary restrictions, others must follow low-potassium, low-sodium, low-phosphorus and low-protein diets. Your nephrologist can tell you whether your laboratory results indicate that dietary changes are necessary. If your potassium and phosphorus levels are normal, you should be able to enjoy cornbread.
Phosphorus
Patients with advanced kidney disease often have high levels of phosphorus. This is dangerous because the excess phosphorus starts to pull calcium from bones. Not only does this weaken bone, but the excess calcium gets deposited on organs, muscles and blood vessels. The National Kidney Foundation recommends that people with high serum phosphorus levels limit their daily phosphorus intake to 800 to 1,000 mg.
A one-piece serving of corn bread that weighs 68 g has 110 mg phosphorus. Since this is more than 10 percent of the total permissible phosphorus intake, you might want to think twice before indulging. Alternatively, you might consider taking a phosphorus binder before you eat it. Phosphorus binders are drugs that allow you consume more phosphorus than you might otherwise.
Potassium
Patients with high potassium levels must compensate by following low-potassium diets. Managing potassium levels is critical because high potassium levels can cause irregular heart beats and heart attacks. The National Kidney Foundation recommends that adults with high potassium levels limit their intake of potassium to less than 2,000 to 3,000 mg per day. This is difficult to do because potassium is even found in drinking water. A one piece serving of cornbread that weighs 68 g has 96 mg potassium. If you can fit this into your daily potassium limit, you can enjoy cornbread.
Renal Dietician
The National Kidney Foundation recommends that patients with advanced disease consult a renal dietitian. In addition to answering your questions about specific foods such as cornbread, a renal dietitian can examine your lab results, work with you on meal planning, steer you to resources about the nutritional content in food and even help you navigate restaurant menus.
References
- National Kidney Foundation: K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines - Guideline 9. Association of Level of GFR with Nutritional Status
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Bread, Cornbread, Prepared from Recipe, Made with Low Fat (2%) Milk
- National Kidney Foundation: Restriction of Dietary Phosphorus in Patients with CKD
- National Kidney Foundation: Fluid and Electrolyte Requirements and Therapy
