Try These Foods if You’re Suffering from Kidney Disease
Cauliflower | Blueberries | Sea Bass | Red Grapes | Egg Whites | Garlic | Buckwheat | Olive Oil | Arugula | Warning
We often do not understand the importance of our kidneys but they play a vital role in streamlining our body functions. They control blood pressure through hormones while adjusting bodily fluids. Most importantly, they filter the waste from your blood and discharge them in the form of urine.
High blood pressure or blood sugar can be the major cause of kidney disease. Smoking, age, gender, and overweight can also contribute to promoting the disease. This disease affects almost 10% of the population.
Along with dialysis or kidney transplant, you must follow a proper diet if you’ve been diagnosed with this disease or if you have a family history. Depending on the stage of renal disease, the diet pattern may vary.
Normally, you should avoid using foods that contain potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and other nutrients. You can consult your doctor to choose the right diet for your health condition. Here are the best food items you can use if you’re suffering from kidney disease.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower can improve your digestion significantly because it contains a high amount of fiber. Moreover, it’s a popular source of nutrients like vitamin C, K, and B. Cauliflower can also reduce inflammation in your body as it contains indoles. The results of cauliflower remain the same no matter whether you eat it raw or roasted.
124 grams of cooled cauliflower contain Potassium 176 mg, Sodium 19mg, and Phosphorus 40 mg.
Blueberries
Blueberries are very effective for your entire organism. Blueberries can diminish the risk of cognitive decline, diabetes, heart disease, and different types of cancer as they are a great source of anthocyanins. Blueberries are highly recommended for people with renal disease because they are low in potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. 148 grams of fresh blueberries contain Phosphorus 18 mg, Potassium 114 mg, and Sodium 1.5 mg.
Sea Bass
Sea bass is the ideal seafood for people who are suffering from kidney disease. Sea bass is a healthy source of omega-3 fats that can reduce cognitive decline, anxiety, and depression. Normally, seafood contains a high amount of sodium and potassium but that’s not the case with sea bass. However, you must take a limited amount of sea bass because of its compound phosphorus.
85 grams of cooked sea bass contain Phosphorus 211 mg, Potassium 279 mg, and Sodium 74 mg.
Red Grapes
Red grapes have the ability to reduce inflammation because they contain a good amount of flavonoids and Vitamin C. This fruit can control blood sugar, improve the heart work, protect the skin from sun exposure, and slow down the aging and cognitive decline.
½ cup of red grapes contains Phosphorus 15 mg, Potassium 144 mg, and Sodium 1.5 mg.
Egg Whites
Eggs provide you with the proper energy to complete your day-to-day tasks. The egg whites have a low level of phosphorus while the yolks contain a lot of phosphorus. Therefore, you must consider using egg whites in your diet. The interesting part is that egg whites are high in protein. So, they can improve your overall health.
66 grams of egg whites contain Phosphorus 10 mg, Potassium 108 mg, and Sodium 110 mg.
Garlic
Garlic works as a great alternative for salt. Thus, you can continue enjoying flavored food without putting your life at a risk. Garlic contains a good amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, several anti-inflammatory sulfur compounds, and manganese. 9 grams of garlic contain Phosphorus 14 mg, Potassium 36 mg, and sodium 1.5 mg.
Buckwheat
Although whole grains are considered to be a good option for your health, they aren’t recommended for kidney patients because they contain a high amount of phosphorus. Buckwheat contains Vitamin B, iron, fiber, and magnesium. So, we can say it’s not less than the whole grains in terms of nutrition.
It contains a very low amount of elements that can be harmful to your health and it’s gluten-free as well. 84 grams of cooked buckwheat contains 59 mg Phosphorus, 74 mg Potassium, and 3.5 mg Sodium.
Olive Oil
If you’re suffering from kidney disease, olive can be the ideal option for you because it’s completely free of Phosphorus. It helps with reducing inflammation and it contains healthy fats. You can either use olive oil as a salad dressing or you can cook food with it. 28 grams of olive oil contains 0 mg Phosphorus, 0.3 mg Potassium, and 0.6 mg Sodium.
Arugula
The renal diet should not contain dark leafy greens like kale and spinach because they contain a high amount of potassium. You can use Arugula as an alternative. It contains a great amount of calcium, manganese, vitamin K, and nitrates. The best thing about this food item is that it can help with reducing blood pressure.
20 grams of raw arugula contains 10 mg Phosphorus, 74 mg Potassium, and 6 mg Sodium.
Warning
You must consider choosing the most appropriate diet for your condition after consulting your doctor. We’ve added a few healthy foods on our list that can be good for kidney patients. Make sure that you eliminate the packaged foods from your diet as they contain a high amount of sodium. You must only choose the foods that are good for your kidneys.