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How Does Potassium Affect The Kidneys

Can I Still Eat Out If I Have Kidney Disease

Hyperkalemia: High Potassium – Your Kidneys and Your Health

You may find eating out to be challenging at first, but you can find kidney-friendly foods in almost every type of cuisine. For example, grilled or broiled meat and seafood are good options at most American restaurants.

You can also opt for a salad instead of a potato-based side like fries, chips, or mashed potatoes.

If youre at an Italian restaurant, skip the sausage and pepperoni. Instead, stick to a simple salad and pasta with non-tomato-based sauce. If youre eating Indian food, go for the curry dishes or Tandoori chicken. Be sure to avoid lentils.

Always request no added salt, and have dressings and sauces served on the side. Portion control is a helpful tool.

Some cuisines, such as Chinese or Japanese, are generally higher in sodium. Ordering in these types of restaurants may require more finesse.

Choose dishes with steamed, instead of fried, rice. Dont add soy sauce, fish sauce, or anything containing MSG into your meal.

Deli meats are also high in salt and should be avoided.

Regulation Of Internal Potassium Balance

Internal K balance serves to protect against changes in Ke K tends to move out of cells during K depletion and into cells following K intake. This process tends to prevent drastic alterations of Ke-to-Ki ratio.32,33 The factors that influence internal K balance include hormones, acid-base status, plasma tonicity, exercise, and cell integrity .

Hypertonicity, as seen with hypertonic fluid administration44 or diabetic hyperglycemic states,45 leads to hyperkalemia, probably as a result of K efflux from cells by way of solvent drag. Lethal hyperkalemia has been attributed to this phenomenon in diabetic patients with ESRD.46

Exercise causes a transient shift of K out of cells. Clinically significant hyperkalemia may result from exercise47,48 .

David E. St-Jules, Anuja ShahPradip, in, 2022

Kidney Disease And Hyperkalemia

  • Under normal circumstances, the kidneys are responsible for excreting 90% of the potassium that is consumed daily, with the remaining 10% excreted by feces.4,9,27,28
  • People with chronic kidney disease have a high risk for hyperkalemia, due in part to the effects of kidney dysfunction on potassium homeostasis.20,29
  • A recent review reports hyperkalemia frequency as high as 40-50% in people with chronic kidney disease compared to 2-3% in the general population.7,8,16 CKD patients with the highest risk include those with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, advanced CKD, transplant recipients, and patients taking renin-angiotensin aldosterone system inhibitors.16
  • An episode of hyperkalemia in patients with CKD increases the odds of mortality within one day of the event.30
  • Hyperkalemia is also common in kidney transplant recipients who receive immunosuppressive therapy with calcineurin inhibitors , with a reported incidence of 44% to 73%. The use of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers to slow the progression of chronic allograft nephropathy increases the risk.31

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Potassium And Kidney Disease: What You Need To Know

When your kidneys are damaged, they cannot remove extra potassium from your blood. Having too much potassium in your blood is called hyperkalemia. Join this webinar to learn more about why high potassium is harmful and what you can do to manage it.

Our speaker, Dr. Kam Kalantar, a nephrologist and kidney expert, will discuss:

  • The relationship between potassium and kidney disease
  • Ways to manage potassium through diet and medicine
  • Consequences of not managing potassium well

Can Kidney Patients Eat Peanuts

Renal Failure &  It

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are potassium-rich vegetables.

Just one medium-sized baked potato contains 610 mg of potassium, whereas one average-sized baked sweet potato contains 541 mg of potassium .

Fortunately, some high potassium foods, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, can be soaked or leached to reduce their potassium contents.

Cutting potatoes into small, thin pieces and boiling them for at least 10 minutes can reduce the potassium content by about 50% .

Potatoes that are soaked in water for at least 4 hours before cooking are proven to have an even lower potassium content than those not soaked before cooking .

This method is known as potassium leaching or the double-cook method.

Although double cooking potatoes lowers the potassium content, its important to remember that their potassium content isnt eliminated by this method.

Considerable amounts of potassium can still be present in double-cooked potatoes, so its best to practice portion control to keep potassium levels in check.

SUMMARY

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are high potassium vegetables. Boiling or double cooking potatoes can decrease their potassium content by about 50%.

Tomatoes are another high potassium fruit that may not fit the guidelines of a renal diet.

They can be served raw or stewed and are often used to make sauces.

Just 1 cup of tomato sauce can contain upwards of 900 mg of potassium .

Unfortunately for those on a renal diet, tomatoes are commonly used in many dishes.

SUMMARY

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Why Is Knowing About Sodium Important For Someone With Advanced Ckd

Too much sodium in a persons diet can be harmful because it causes blood to hold fluid. People with CKD need to be careful not to let too much fluid build up in their bodies. The extra fluid raises blood pressure and puts a strain on the heart and kidneys. A dietitian can help people find ways to reduce the amount of sodium in their diet. Nutrition labels provide information about the sodium content in food. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises that healthy people should limit their daily sodium intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams , the amount found in 1 teaspoon of table salt. People who are at risk for a heart attack or stroke because of a condition such as high blood pressure or kidney disease should limit their daily sodium intake to no more than 1,500 mg. Choosing sodium-free or low-sodium food products will help them reach that goal.

Sodium is found in ordinary table salt and many salty seasonings such as soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. Canned foods, some frozen foods, and most processed meats have large amounts of salt. Snack foods such as chips and crackers are also high in salt.

Limit Shellfish And Meat

Research has found that a toxin called domoic acid in shellfish and some fish that eat algae can harm kidneys in mice. People are not mice. But, the really troubling finding was that very tiny levels of the toxin could harm kidneys. Shellfish also have high levels of purines, which can be a problem if you have gout. So, it may be wise to cut back on shellfish if you eat it a lot.

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How Can I Minimize My Potassium Build

One of the best ways to reduce potassium buildup is to make dietary changes. To do that, youll need to learn which foods are high in potassium and which are low. Be sure to do your research and read the nutritional labels on your food.

Keep in mind that it isnt just what you eat that counts, but also how much you eat. Portion control is important to the success of any kidney-friendly diet. Even a food thats considered low in potassium can spike your levels if you eat too much of it.

Potatoes And Sweet Potatoes

13 Low-Potassium Foods Kidney Patients Can Enjoy

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are potassium-rich vegetables.

Just one medium-sized baked potato contains 610 mg of potassium, whereas one average-sized baked sweet potato contains 541 mg of potassium .

Fortunately, some high potassium foods, including potatoes and sweet potatoes, can be soaked or leached to reduce their potassium contents.

Cutting potatoes into small, thin pieces and boiling them for at least 10 minutes can reduce the potassium content by about 50% .

Potatoes that are soaked in water for at least 4 hours before cooking are proven to have an even lower potassium content than those not soaked before cooking .

This method is known as potassium leaching or the double-cook method.

Although double cooking potatoes lowers the potassium content, its important to remember that their potassium content isnt eliminated by this method.

Considerable amounts of potassium can still be present in double-cooked potatoes, so its best to practice portion control to keep potassium levels in check.

SUMMARY

Potatoes and sweet potatoes are high potassium vegetables. Boiling or double cooking potatoes can decrease their potassium content by about 50%.

Tomatoes are another high potassium fruit that may not fit the guidelines of a renal diet.

They can be served raw or stewed and are often used to make sauces.

Just 1 cup of tomato sauce can contain upwards of 900 mg of potassium .

Unfortunately for those on a renal diet, tomatoes are commonly used in many dishes.

SUMMARY

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Quantification Of Renal Function And Progression

Kidney function was quantified by using the estimated glomerular filtration rate derived from the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study equation. The equation was eGFR ml/min/1.73 m2=186 Ã Serum creatinine â1.154Ã Age â0.203Ã 0.742 Ã 1.212 . The average eGFR slope for each patient was calculated by linear regression with varying-intercept and varying-slope without co-variates for estimation of the annual change of eGFR.

What About Peanut Butter And Other Nut Butters

Now that weve gone over potassium in nuts, what about potassium in peanut butter, almond butter, and other nut butters?

These are packaged foods, meaning there is some processing that occurs when making these delicious spreads. It doesnt mean they need to be avoided!

What it does mean is that there can be additives like phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and even sugar to watch for.

Nut Butter
Almond Butter 240

There are plenty of other nut butters, and they can easily be made at home! The nutrition information on these other nut butters is still limited as potassium has only recently been added to the nutrition information requirements.

This Kevala cashew butter* has just 164 milligrams of potassium per 2 tablespoon serving.

Nomz hazelnut butter* has 6% DV of potassium per 2 Tbsp serving.

The pecan butter from Purely Pecans* has 135 milligrams of potassium per 2 Tbsp serving.

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The Importance Of Potassium In Kidney Dialysis

Potassium is very important for normal health. The potassium ion, the electrolyte K+, is involved in nerve and muscle communication systems – effectively it helps pass the nerve signals along. This includes to the heart, your most important muscle. It is also involved in many cellular processes , involved in metabolism including carbohydrates, and is required for the proper operation of your cells, tissues and most organs. It is involved in the synthetic pathway that leads to proteins. And several other things too. Clearly an important mineral. Too much or too little can cause you problems.

List Of Unsafe Food For Damaged Kidneys

High Potassium Levels and Your Kidneys...The Solution May Be Baking Soda!

Kidney disease requires a lot of care and cautions in order to get back into the right condition. Eating healthy is very necessary when we have damaged kidneys. There are certain nutrients that are required to be prevented from entering the body by any means. Once these unhealthy nutrients enter the human body they exert pressure on the kidneys. The ill kidneys could not make the best out of these nutrients and as a result, it accumulates within the body and causes a medical condition called uremia. This condition contributes to the worsening of kidneys health. This is why it is suggested to eat good food for bad kidneys.

In order to eat healthily, it is important to know about the right food. The two leading causes of kidney diseases are diabetes and high blood pressure and if they come under control then major issues related to kidneys would be under control. In order to support the health of the kidneys for good, one should put control over the consumption of sugar, salt, fat, sodium, excess phosphorus, potassium, and protein. This blog would help you to learn about unsafe food for damaged kidneys.

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Planning A Low Potassium Diet

High potassium levels in the blood can cause serious heart troubles, especially if you are at high risk of heart failure, but before you severely restrict the potassium in your diet you may want to check in with a healthcare professional to talk about the risks of high potassium and how a low-potassium diet can help.

How Does Your Potassium Affect Your Kidneys

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How Can Kidney Disease Affect My Other Nutritional Needs

If you have kidney disease, meeting your nutritional needs may be easier than you think. The trick is getting the hang of what you can eat and what you should reduce or remove from your diet.

Eating smaller portions of protein, such as chicken and beef, is important. A protein-rich diet can cause your kidneys to work too hard. Reducing your protein intake by practicing portion control may help.

Its important to note that protein restriction depends on your level of kidney disease. Talk to your healthcare provider to find out how much protein you should be consuming each day.

Sodium may increase thirst and lead to drinking too many fluids, or cause bodily swelling, both of which are bad for your kidneys. Sodium is a hidden ingredient in many packaged foods, so make sure to read the labels.

Instead of reaching for the salt to season your dish, opt for herbs and other seasonings that dont include sodium or potassium.

Youll also likely need to take a phosphate binder with your meals. This can prevent your phosphorus levels from getting too high. If these levels get too high, it can cause an inverse drop in calcium, leading to weak bones.

You may also consider limiting your cholesterol and total fat intake. When your kidneys dont filter effectively, eating foods heavy in these components is harder on your body. Becoming overweight due to a poor diet can also put added stress on your kidneys.

Eating For High Potassium

Webinar: Potassium and Kidney Disease – What you need to know

If you learn that you have high potassium, your doctor might suggest that you change your diet to take in less potassium.

Talk to your doctor or dietitian about how much potassium you should have and how you can control how much potassium you eat. Your dietitian can recommend foods that are low in potassium that you can eat instead of foods that are high in potassium.

Follow these tips to keep your potassium at the right level:

  • Avoid salt substitutes because they are usually high in potassium.
  • Do not forget about drinks. Many fruit juices, like orange and tomato, have high potassium. Potassium can also be found in other drinks including coconut water.
  • Pay attention to serving sizes. Use measuring cups and measuring spoons to make sure you know how many servings you are eating or drinking. Remember that if you eat two servings of a food with potassium, you are eating twice as much potassium!

To manage your potassium intake, you need to know how much potassium is in your food and drinks.

Plan ahead if you know you will be eating a meal that is high in potassium. For example, if you are going out for dinner and you know your meal will be higher in potassium, or you know that it will be hard to measure how much potassium is in your meal, plan to eat meals that are low in potassium for breakfast and lunch.

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What Causes High Potassium

The most common cause of high potassium is kidney disease.

Other causes of high potassium include:

  • Dehydration
  • Injuries that cause severe bleeding
  • Some rare diseases

If you have kidney disease, you are at risk for high potassium because your kidneys cannot remove the extra potassium in your blood. Instead of leaving your body through your urine, the extra potassium in your blood travels through your kidneys and back into your bloodstream. In time, more and more potassium can build up in your blood.

Definitions And Outcome Measures

Renal Function

We applied the CKD-EPI equation to patients who had 2 outpatient serum creatinine levels between January 1, 2005 and September 15, 2009, to calculate eGFR . All creatinine measurements were performed by the modified kinetic Jaffe reaction, using a Hitachi D 2400 Modular Chemistry Analyzer in our laboratory. CKD was defined according to current guidelines as follows: stage 3 CKD and stage 4 CKD . We further categorized stage 3 into CKD stage 3a and stage 3b .

Serum Potassium

Only outpatient serum potassium laboratory measures obtained with a same reference range were included in this analysis. Serum potassium levels measured on the day of CKD confirmation , as described, were used for the analysis in which single potassium measured was considered. For our time-dependent repeated measures analysis, we included the baseline potassium as well as the first potassium with an appropriate reference range measured each month during the study follow-up. We used carry-forward values to fill in data for months with no potassium measurement.

Comorbid Conditions and Laboratory Parameters

Demographic details were extracted from the EHR. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and other comorbid conditions were defined using pre-specified criteria and validated . Serum potassium levels and other relevant outpatient laboratory details were obtained from our electronic laboratory records.

Outcomes

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What To Eat And What Not To

Food is not just the fuel that makes your body run. What you eat forms the building blocks for your cells. You really are what you eat. So, your food can, and does, affect your health. When you have CKD, one way to feel better and protect your kidneys is to take a fresh look at what you eat. See if you might want to make some changes to your diet. Your care team may give you some tips as well.

Foods that are close to nature like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and peas, whole grains, and lean meats are best for your body. Food that comes in a can, box, jar, or bag has been processed in a factory. Most processed foods have lots of chemicals, preservatives, and fillers . Some, like natural peanut butter, canned beans, or frozen vegetables, are good choices. How do you know which are good? READ LABELS. When a food has more than a few ingredients or a fresh food, like meat or fish, has an ingredient list at all be wary. Look for foods that have no more than five or six ingredients. You may want to make a fresh choice.

Most food cans in the U.S. are lined with bisphenol A . BPA has been linked with high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Many canned foods tend to be very high in salt or sugar and highly processed, too. Glass jars or shelf safe cartons dont have BPA.

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