Best Diet For Patients With Kidney Problems!

Patients suffering from kidney related disorders need to closely monitor their diets to be healthy. Certain changes in the diet such as limiting fluid intake, limiting certain electrolyte such as phosphorus, potassium, salt etc, consume just enough calories that are sustainable for the body etc is necessary. The purpose of the dietary changes is to ensure that the patient consumes only so much stuff that can be excreted with limited kidney function.

While a patient should seek a doctor’s or a nutritionist’s advice before following any diet plan, here is a generic diet plan that fits the bill:

• Eat the right food with less or no salt: For a patient suffering from kidney ailments, the daily intake of sodium should be less than 2,300 mg. It is, therefore, advised to consume fresh food rather than packaged food. Instead of consuming prepared, frozen food, it makes sense to prepare food at home right from scratch so that the sodium level could be controlled right from the word go. To compensate for the salt, one can use certain spices, seasonings, and herbs etc to improve the taste of the food.
• Eat the right type and the right amount of protein: Consuming protein accumulates waste and kidney end up removing this waste from the body. It is, therefore, pivotal to limit the protein intake in the diet so that kidney doesn’t have to overwork. A very limited portion of animal and plant protein such as chicken, eggs, dairy, nuts, grains should be consumed after prior consultation with the doctor with a medical professional.
• Choose healthy food that supports the cardiovascular system: To ensure that fat does not build up in the heart, blood vessels, kidneys etc. it is necessary to choose a diet that is friendly to the heart as well. Following guidelines should help:
  • Instead of consuming deep-fried food, it makes sense to consume broil, roast or stir-fry foods.
  • Instead of consuming butter, olive oil helps the kidney to reduce work
  • Trimming the fat portion of meat is strictly advised
  • Some of the good-to-consume food include beans, fish, fruits, poultry etc

The next steps to eat healthily: If the kidney function keeps deteriorating, over time a patient will have to forego alcohol, smoke, trans and saturated fats. The level of potassium and phosphorus should be brought down to a considerable extent as well. Since phosphorus degrades the level of calcium in the body, there is a good chance that the bone and the teeth might become fragile. It is also important to get all the medicines checked as well. Certain medication can increase the level of potassium in the body.

Following a diet chart at various stage of the kidney function can help a patient mitigate any drastic risk involved with the kidney.