Foods That Good For Kidney Disease

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on either side of your spine. They are about the size of a fist and are located just below the rib cage.

The healthy kidneys process about a quarter-cup of blood every minute, removing wastes and extra water to make urine. The urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder through two thin tubes of muscle called ureters, one on each side of your bladder stores urine. Your kidneys, ureters, and bladder are part of your urinary tract.

How do your kidneys work?

Your kidneys remove excess fluid and waste products from your body. They also help maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals in your blood. Your kidneys actively maintain a healthy balance of these substances in your blood. Without this balance, your nerves, muscles, and other tissues in your body may not perform actively. Your kidneys also make hormones that help control your blood pressure, keep your bones strong and healthy, and make red blood cells.

The production of urine involves complex steps of excretion and re-absorption. These steps are necessary to maintain a stable balance of body chemicals.

The kidneys produce many hormones. One of these hormones stimulates red blood cell production. Other hormones produced by the kidneys help regulate calcium metabolism and control blood pressure. The kidneys are powerful chemical factories that perform the following functions:

• Regularize the body’s fluids
• Stimulate the release of hormones that regulate blood
• Manufacture an active form of vitamin D that promotes strong, healthy bones
• Manage the production of red blood cells

Filtering is a process made up of millions of filtering units, and these units are known as nephrons. Each nephron includes a filter called the glomerulus and tubule. The nephrons work through a two-step process: The glomerulus filters your blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to your blood and removes wastes.

Researchers have found that chronic diseases, inflammation, and ‘superfoods’ may prevent or protect against the undesirable oxidation of fatty acids. A condition occurs when the oxygen in your body reacts with fats in your blood and your cells.

Oxidative stress is the excessive damage caused by the excessive oxidation of fats and cholesterol. It can damage your proteins, cell membranes, and genes.

Antioxidants can help neutralize free radicals and protect your body. For people with chronic kidney disease, there are foods that protect against oxidation that are great for dialysis patients.

Check out the foods for kidney health

Following a diet with kidney-friendly foods is best for people with kidney disease. They experience more inflammation and have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

1. Red bell peppers

• 1/2 cup red bell pepper = 1 mg sodium
• 88 mg potassium
• 10 mg phosphorus

Red bell peppers are an adequate source of potassium and are a useful source of folic acid. They are also a reliable source of vitamin C and vitamin A, as well as vitamin B6, folic acid, and fiber. Red bell peppers are a good source of lycopene, a carotenoid with antioxidant properties, which can help protect against certain cancers.

2. Cabbage

• 1/2 cup green cabbage = 6 mg sodium
• 60 mg potassium
• 9 mg phosphorus

Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable, rich in antioxidants and full of low-fat, low-calorie nutrients. It is also a powerful tool in the fight against cancer and cardiovascular disease.

High in vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber, cabbage is also a reliable source of vitamin B6 and folic acid. It is also very low in potassium and low in cost. It is, therefore, a lycopene

3. Cauliflower

• 1/2 cup boiled cauliflower = 19 mg sodium
• 88 mg potassium
• 20 mg phosphorus

Cauliflower is a cruciferous plant that is high in vitamin C. It is also high in indoles, glycosylated, and thiocyanates—compounds that help the liver neutralize toxic substances that could damage cell membranes and DNA.

4. Strawberries

• 1/2 cup serving (5 medium) fresh strawberries = 1 mg sodium
• 120 mg potassium
• 13 mg phosphorus

Strawberries contain flavonoids, antioxidants, and polyphenols, which are what give them their color. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese and a very good source of fiber. They are very low in fat. They provide heart protection, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory components.

5. Fish

• 3 ounces wild salmon = 50 mg sodium
• 368 mg potassium
• 274 mg phosphorus

Fish is a healthy source of high-quality protein and contains anti-inflammatory fats called omega-3s. Omega-3s also help lower low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol, and raise high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol, which is good cholesterol.

6. Apples

• 1 medium apple with skin = 0 sodium
• 158 mg potassium
• 10 mg phosphorus

Apples have been shown to possess a wide range of health benefits, including protecting against heart disease, reducing the risk of cancer, and reducing the risk of kidney disease. Good news for people with kidney disease who already have their share of doctor visits.

7. Cranberries

• 1/2 cup serving cranberry juice
• cocktail = 3 mg sodium
• 22 mg potassium, 3 mg phosphorus
• 1/4 cup serving cranberry sauce = 35 mg sodium
• 17 mg potassium, 6 mg phosphorus
• 1/2 cup serving dried cranberries = 2 mg sodium
• 24 mg potassium and 5 mg phosphorus

Cranberries are known to prevent bladder infections by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall. Similarly, cranberries also promote GI health, protecting the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, helping to prevent ulcer-causing bacteria, and protecting against cancer and heart disease.

8. Blueberries

• 1/2 cup serving fresh blueberries = 4 mg sodium
• 65 mg potassium
• 7 mg phosphorus

Blueberries and their health-promoting anthocyanins are high in antioxidant phytonutrients called anthocyanins, which give them their bright blue color, and they are bursting with natural compounds that reduce inflammation. Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C, manganese, a compound that keeps your bones healthy, and fiber. They can also protect the brain from the effects of aging. Antioxidants in blueberries and other berries help slow bone breakdown in rats made to be low in estrogenic.

9. Raspberries

• 1/2 cup serving raspberries = 0 mg sodium
• 93 mg potassium
• 7 mg phosphorus

Black raspberries contain an antioxidant called ellagic acid which helps neutralize free radicals in the body to prevent cell damage. They also contain other antioxidants called anthocyanins, which give them their red color. One of the best sources of manganese, vitamin C, fiber, and folate, a B vitamin, raspberries may have properties that inhibit tumor formation.

10. Garlic

• 1 clove garlic = 1 mg sodium
• 12 mg potassium

4 mg phosphorus

Fresh garlic helps prevent plaque from forming on your teeth, lowers cholesterol, and reduces inflammation. Garlic provides vitamins B3 and B6, and is a good source of selenium, zinc, folate, and manganese. It is a good addition to meat, vegetable, and pasta dishes.

11. Cherries

• 1/2 cup serving fresh sweet cherries = 0 mg sodium
• 160 mg potassium
• 15 mg phosphorus

Cherries are good for your health in general, and for your heart specifically. They are packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect the heart.

12. Red grapes

• 1/2 cup serving red grapes = 1 mg sodium
• 88 mg potassium
• 4 mg phosphorus

Red grapes contain flavonoids that help protect against heart disease by preventing oxidation and reducing the formation of blood clots. Resveratrol is a compound found in grapes that may stimulate the production of nitric oxide which helps relax muscle cells in the blood vessels, thus increasing blood flow. These flavonoids also provide protection against cancer and prevent inflammation.

13. Onions

• 1/2 cup serving onion = 3 mg sodium
• 116 mg potassium
• 3 mg phosphorus

Onion, a member of the Allium family, is known for its pungent smell. But it is also rich in flavonoids, especially quercetin, which has powerful antioxidant properties. Onions are deficient in potassium and a good source of chromium, a mineral that helps with carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.

14. Olive oil

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = less than 1 mg sodium
• less than 1 mg potassium
• 0 mg phosphorus

Olive oil is a good source of oleic acid, a fat that fights inflammation. The monounsaturated fat in olive oil protects against oxidation. Olive oil is high in polyphenols and antioxidants that prevent inflammation and oxidation.

15. Egg whites

• 2 egg whites = 7 grams protein
• 110 mg sodium, 108 mg potassium
• 10 mg phosphorus

Egg whites are the purest and highest quality protein, providing the highest-quality protein with all the essential amino acids. Egg whites provide protein with less phosphorus than any other protein source, such as egg yolk or meats.

High consumption of olive oil is associated with lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Remember that these foods are healthy for everyone—including family members and friends who do not have kidney disease or are not on dialysis. When you stock your kitchen with delicious, healthy, kidney-friendly foods that are one step to helping you do well on your kidney diet.