The Role of Nutrition in Managing Chronic Kidney Disease
Making healthy food choices
Is important to us all, and especially if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Good nutrition helps:
- Slow down the progression of kidney disease
- Provide energy to do your daily tasks
- Prevent infection
- Maintain muscle mass and strength
- Maintain a healthy weig
The Basics of Good Nutrition
A well-balanced diet gives you the right amounts of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals each day. Eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, and taking all your medicines as prescribed are all important parts to keeping you healthy and feeling well.
Changes to My Diet
Your kidneys help keep the right balance of nutrients and minerals in your body. But if you have kidney disease, your kidneys may not do this job very well. You may need to make some changes to your diet.
There is not only one correct eating plan for everyone with kidney disease. What you can or cannot eat may change over time, depending on your kidney function and other factors. If you are following a certain eating plan for diabetes or heart disease, you will continue to do so. What is good for your diabetes and heart is good for your kidney. A kidney dietitian will help you combine these eating plans.
Registered dietitians and kidney disease
Ask your doctor about meeting with a Registered Dietitian with special training in kidney disease.
A dietitian can:
• Teach you to make the best food choices based on your lifestyle and lab tests
• Help to make changes in your diet to help you better control diabetes and high blood pressure
• Help you to keep your kidney disease from getting worse
Nutrients to manage in chronic kidney disease
People with CKD may need to control the amount or type of one or more nutrients:
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Phosphorus
• Calcium
• Protein
Eating the right amount or type of one or more of these nutrients may help control the buildup of waste and fluid in your blood. This means your kidneys do not have to work as hard to remove the extra waste and fluid. If your kidney disease gets worse, you may need to limit other nutrients as well. Your dietitian or healthcare provider will tell you if you need to do this based on your blood test results.
Healthy kidneys control how much sodium is in your body. If your kidneys do not work well, too much sodium can cause fluid buildup, swelling, higher blood pressure, and strain on your heart. Your dietitian or healthcare provider can tell you the right amount of sodium you should have each day.
Potassium is important for muscle function, including the heart muscle. Too much or too little potassium in the blood can be very dangerous. The amount of potassium you need is based on how well your kidneys are working and your medications. Your dietitian or healthcare provider can tell you about foods with potassium and the right amount for you to eat each day.
Potassium from animal foods is absorbed at a higher rate than potassium from plants. Elevated blood sugars can also increase potassium levels. Some high-potassium foods include milk, meat, bananas, oranges and orange juice, cantaloupe, dried fruits, winter squash and salt substitutes.
As kidney function gets lower, extra phosphorus can start building up in the blood. High phosphorus levels can cause bones to get weaker. Your dietitian or healthcare provider can tell you if you need to limit goods that are high in phosphorus.
High phosphorus foods include dairy products, organ meats, colas, deli meats, and processed foods with phosphate additives.
Foods that are good sources of calcium are often high in phosphorus. Your dietitian or healthcare provider will tell you if you need to limit calcium. Before taking any over-the-counter vitamin D or calcium supplements, talk to your healthcare provider.
Your body needs protein to help build muscle, repair tissue, and fight infection. Plant-based protein like beans and nuts are easier on the kidneys than animal proteins like meat and dairy products. This is because plant proteins produce less acid in the body than meat proteins. More acid in body can damage the kidneys.
Having very large amounts of protein, especially in the form of unnecessary supplements, can be stressful on the kidneys. But if protein intake is too low, you can lose muscle mass, become weak, and increase the body’s acid load, so it is important to eat the right amount each day. The amount of protein you need is based on:
• Your weight
• Your age – growing children and adolescents, and older people, need more protein
• The amount of protein in your urine, and depending on your type of kidney disease
• Your dietitian or healthcare provider can tell you how much protein you should eat.
People with kidney disease need to be careful with their diet to reduce the kidneys’ workload and minimize the buildup of waste in the body. Here is a list of foods generally recommended for kidney patients:
- Low-potassium fruits
- Apples
- Grapes
- Blueberries
- Pineapple
- Strawberries
- Pears
- Low-potassium vegetables
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Bell peppers
- Cucumber
- Carrots (in moderate amounts)
- Zucchini
- Controlled proteins
- Egg whites
- Fish and chicken (in small portions and skinless)
- Lean meats in limited amounts (adjusted according to medical recommendations)
- Low-phosphorus cereals and breads
- White rice
- White bread
- White pasta
- Oats in small amounts
- Healthy fats
- Olive oil
- Avocado (in controlled amounts)
- Flax and chia seeds (in small portions)
- Low-sodium foods
- Avoid using salt and opt for fresh herbs to season
- Choose fresh foods and avoid processed or canned products, as they often contain added sodium