Kidneys are the bean-shaped organs in the human body that performs various essential functions.
They filter your blood and remove waste from your body through urination. They also produce hormones, balance minerals, and strengthen fluid balance.
Everyone is frequently advised to eat a healthy diet. But if your kidney health is so bad, eating a healthy diet means making the right choice about what you take in. The adjustments could see you no longer consuming a favourite meal or drink. And this, for your health’s sake, is worth doing.
In helping you in this effort to make the right meal choices, the following are seven foods, even healthy ones, people with kidney diseases shouldn’t touch.
Don’t touch these foods if you have kidney disease
Red meat
Red meat is a rich source of protein, a healthy mineral to grow and stay fit. But when the body has too much of it, the kidney suffers.
Too much protein makes your kidneys work too hard.
Canned vegetables
Vegetables are good sources of healthy minerals for proper body growth. But what you would want to avoid as a person with kidney disease is canned vegetables.
Canned vegetables are known to contain a significant amount of sodium. Too much sodium in the body reduces the kidney’s ability to function in the direction of removing excess fluid from your bloodstream.
Frozen vegetables are a better choice if you have kidney disease. Nonetheless, you can rinse canned vegetables well before cooking.
Fried foods
Another uneasy adjustment you would want to make if you have kidney problems is avoiding anything fried. Eating fried foods is not the best for a diabetes patient or someone suffering from kidney disease.
Over time, studies have shown that the unhealthy fats found in most fried foods can damage your kidneys in the long run.
These serious offenders include chicken nuggets and flashy but injurious French fries, fried plantains, and its siblings.
Dairy products
It is common knowledge that dairy products are high in calcium, but it is uncommonly known to people that this puts a lot of stress on their kidneys. While this does not call for caution for every other person, it does for people with kidney disease.
If you have kidney issues, try to limit your dairy product intake. You can alternatively choose fat-free or low-fat options. If you don’t know how to do this, you can contact us to tell you the best way to include dairy in your diet.
Butter
Ouch! We understand you may be sad about missing out on this in combination with bread henceforth. But every adjustment is worth it if you want to keep your kidneys in shape again.
If you don’t know, butter is made from animal fat and contains calories, cholesterol, and significant levels of saturated fat. The fact is all of these are unhealthy for kidney growth.
Chocolate and yoghurt
These are possibly another upsetting adjustment you must make if you have kidney disease. Chocolate and yoghurt are highly rich in potassium. Too much potassium poses a serious health risk to the kidneys.
While healthy kidneys can balance the blood’s potassium levels, a faulty one may not.
Other high-potassium foods you must avoid if you have kidney disease include nuts and seeds, bran and granola, and dried apricots.
Salty Foods
Most foods with high salt content are bad for your kidneys. Consumption of too much salt can harm the kidneys over time. It’s important to avoid most salty foods if you have kidney problems.
Finally, making healthy adjustments in food choices by controlling fat, sugar, salt, potassium, sodium intake, and more can make a big difference in helping you protect your kidneys and manage the various risk factors. You are often advised to check your kidney condition to know if you need to adjust your food choice. If you wish to see it, we can get you a kidney blood panel test if you reach out to us today.