This is a brief summary of an earlier blog post on the KidneySolutions blog page. For more information on the topic, visit, the blog post at
[url]http://kidneysolutions./2014/08/03/food-and-the-patient-with-kidney-disease-or-kidney-failure/. [/url]

For more information on Kidney disease, dialysis or kidney transplantation, you can also visit the KidneySolutions website at http://www.kidney-solutions.com/ or the KidneySolutions YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/KidneySolutions1 for lots of educational information. You can also send email to-[email] info@kidney-solutions.com[/email].

[b]Summary: There is a lot of dangerous and misleading information on the right diets for patients with kidney disease often without any scientific or truly tested medical basis for claims. This can lead to malnutrition or even an acceleration of the kidney disease the proposed diet is meant to prevent. A lot of the proposals do not consider the stage of kidney disease a patient is in as well. For instance there is a common belief that protein is bad for kidney disease and this is not true. Protein is an important nutrient and kidney disease does not change its importance. What many people do not know is that we take more protein in a usual diet than the body actually needs so reducing the amount in patients with less severe kidney disease especially before dialysis can slow don but not reverse the kidney disease. Many other aspects of care are likely more important than protein intake to reduce the progression of kidney disease such as control of blood sugar, control of blood pressure and relief of any obstruction. Happy reading and remember to go to the link for more detailed information![/b][i][/i]

Kidney function is essential for removing the waste material and some toxins from food that you eat. The kidneys excrete a dietary protein called urea, as well as excess amounts of sodium, potassium, and phosphate. These substances can build up in the body if kidney function is impaired and cause harm.

Following a strict diet can lessen the excessive accumulation of these substances and their bad effects on the body.

Controlling your phosphorus (Phosphate)

Excess phosphorus is a mineral that healthy kidneys get rid of in the urine. In kidneys that are failing, phosphorus builds up in the blood and may cause many problems including muscle aches and pains, brittle, easily broken bones, calcification of the heart, skin, joints, and blood vessels. To keep your phosphorus levels in check, consider the following tips:

1. Intake of foods low in phosphorus

Grape, Vegetables: cabbage, green beans, spinach, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, pear, plum, Pineapple, apple, mango, white bread, pasta, watermelon, potatoes
2. Moderate intake of moderate phosphorous foods and avoiding high phosphate foods.
3. Remember to take any phosphate binders your doctor may prescribe.

Controlling your Potassium

Potassium is an element that is necessary for the body to keep a normal electrical activity and water balance between the cells and body fluids. All foods contain some potassium, but some contain larger amounts.

Normal kidney function will remove potassium through urination. Kidneys that are not functioning properly cannot remove the potassium in the urine, so it builds up in the blood. This can be very dangerous to your heart. High potassium can cause irregular heart beats and can even cause the heart to stop if the potassium levels get to high.

Typically, there are no symptoms for someone with a high potassium level. If you are concerned about your potassium level, check with your doctor, and follow the tips below.

The following foods are high in potassium and intake of these foods should be limited:
Bananas, Avocado, Oranges, Orange Juice, Prunes, Prune Juice, Tomatoes, Tomato Juice, Tomato Sauce, Tomato Puree, Melon, Nuts, Pawpaw, Chocolate, Red Beans, Milk White Beans, cabbage, onions, groundnut, walnut, mushrooms, corn, potatoes

Controlling your sodium (salt)

Sodium, or sodium chloride is an element that is used by all living creatures to regulate the water content in the body. Usually a sodium restriction comes in the form of “No Added Salt.” This is necessary because a greater intake of sodium will result in poorly controlled blood pressure and excessive thirst which can lead to difficulty adhering to the fluid restrictions in your diet. However, your doctor can allow you a limited amount of sodium which can vary between 2-6gms per day

To limit your sodium, you should:

Avoid table salt and any seasonings that end with the word “salt”
Avoid salt substitutes (they contain potassium)
Avoid salty meats such as bacon, ham, sausage, hot dogs, lunch meats, canned meats
Avoid salty snacks such as cheese curls, salted crackers, nuts, and chips
Avoid canned soups, frozen dinners, and instant noodles
Avoid bottled sauces, pickles, olives, and MSG

Controlling your protein

Protein is important to aid in growth and maintenance of body tissue. Protein also plays a

role in fighting infection, healing of wounds, and provides a source of energy to the body.

For patients with advanced kidney disease not yet on dialysis, it is important that you take some protein but do not take too much. Remember, you need protein for all of the functions above. The reason for asking patients to reduce their protein intake when they have significant disease but are not yet on dialysis is that an excessive protein load can accelerate the path to kidney failure. However note that many other aspects of care are likely more important than protein intake to reduce the progression of kidney disease such as control of blood sugar, control of blood pressure and relief of any obstruction.
For patients with kidney failure, there is absolutely no need to restrict protein as the kidneys have failed and protein restriction will not restore kidney function that has been lost.
You should make sure to eat one tenth of a kilogram of protein every day.
Foods that are high in protein include beef, pork, veal, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, and eggs.
1 average sized egg for example is equal to one-twentieth of a kilogram of protein.

How to be successful on a renal diet

Moderation

Dietary Guidelines emphasizes the importance of eating a variety of foods. This applies to dialysis patients, too. You can enjoy all foods in moderation while following a renal diet. One of the guidelines states:

“Be sensible: Enjoy all foods, just don’t overdo it.”