Foods To Eat Or Avoid If You Have Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease can be either long-term or chronic, but it is possible to live a normal life with the disease. One of the best things you can do to help manage your disease and keep it from progressing is to eat a healthy, balanced diet.
For those with chronic kidney disease, a low-protein diet is recommended, but for someone on dialysis, a high-protein diet is best. Depending on your individual needs, your physician may also recommend limiting additional fluids, minerals or electrolytes. Here are 10 foods to eat or avoid if you have kidney disease:
Foods to Eat
Foods to Avoid
Kidney disease or not, what you eat and drink affects your health. Maintaining a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet is key to controlling your blood pressure and blood sugar. High blood pressure and diabetes are two of the leading causes of kidney disease, as well as many other conditions including heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.
A kidney-healthy diet isnt so much about eliminating a ton of foods entirely, but more about portion control and finding the right balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates to ensure you are consuming enough calories and nutrients.
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Oxidative Damage After Chronic Ethanol Administration
Physically, the kidneys have several enzymes with antioxidant capacities, including superoxide dismutase , catalase , and glutathione peroxidase, which can balance various oxidative processes. Several studies have demonstrated that alcohol consumption increases ROS generation, which contributes to lipid peroxidation and damages antioxidant capacity .
In the kidneys, ROS is generated via both enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes . In pathophysiological conditions, ROS, such as O2, may react with nitric oxide to produce ONOO, which is a highly oxidizing compound that reacts with biological molecules, causing lipoperoxidation and oxidation of proteins , cytomembrane, and DNA in the kidneys. In addition, Das et al. reported that alcohol consumption impairs the ability of CAT to catalyze the decomposition of H2O2 in the kidneys . This subsequently promotes the conversion of H2O2 to the more reactive hydroxyl radicals, which cause damage in antioxidant capacities and mitochondria in renal cells . Samadi et al. also suggested that ethanol induces depression of nephrin and podocin in podocytes, which contributes to renal injury and proteinuria and is mediated by oxidative stress .
Check Your Blood Sugar Before During And After Drinking
The more alcohol you drink, the more you should check your blood sugar during the 10 to 12 hours after drinking. If you drink one alcoholic beverage, explains Harris, itll take your liver about 1.5 hours to process it. But if you drink two alcoholic beverages, the time it takes to process doubles to 3 hours.
The more you drink, the more hours it takes for your body to deal with all of that alcohol.
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Eating Healthily And Monitoring Your Diet
An unhealthy diet high in sugar and sodium can damage much more than your waistline, as overweight or obese people are at much higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. In order to support healthy kidneys, you should try to eat a low sodium diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables such as whole grains, blueberries, and fish.
Do Not Smoke Or Drink Too Much Alcohol
Try to stop smoking completely and limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
Both men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week on a regular basis.
Drinking too much alcohol and smoking both raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of kidney disease.
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What Other Kidney Issues Are Associated With Alcohol/drinking
Kidneys are vital to the overall healthy functioning of the human body and serve as filtration devices for any harmful or toxic substance that enters your bloodstream. When someone drinks in excess, the kidneys have to work harder to filter the bodys blood and can cause immense stress on the kidneys. The dehydrating effect of alcohol can negatively impact your bodys cell and organ functions. Additionally, alcohol in the body can impact the hormones that contribute to healthy kidney function in your body.3
Regular heavy drinking has been known to double the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Those who smoke cigarettes in addition to drinking heavily are about five times more likely to develop kidney disease than those who only drink excessively.3
Potential Risks Of Grape Juice
Grape juice offers many health benefits but is high in natural sugar and calories. Some people may need to be especially careful with the beverage and only drink it in moderation.
High Blood Sugar
Grape juice contains natural sugars, not the artificial sweeteners or refined sugar found in soda. However, one cup of grape juice contains 36 grams of sugar and almost no fiber, so it can cause your blood sugar to spike.
If you have diabetes or need to watch your blood sugar for any reason, ask your doctor whether you need to avoid or reduce your typical serving of fruit juice. Whole grapes may be a better option, as they contain fiber and may not be as likely to cause a rise in blood sugar.
Weight Gain
Grape juice can be a healthy alternative when trying to kick the soda habit. High-calorie drinks like fruit juice are easy to overdo, though, so consider portion size when pouring a glass. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting juice to a half-cup serving per day.
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Chronic Kidney Disease: Alcohols Effect On Kidneys
If you continue to drink regularly or have a chronic alcohol use disorder, youre at risk of chronic kidney disease. The stress put on your kidneys over time forces them to work harder. This stress also damages the liver.
Chronic kidney disease is a severe condition. But, above all, it is life-threatening. If you have chronic kidney disease from alcohol, its essential to seek treatment for both conditions.
Symptoms Of Alcohol Damage To Kidneys
After drinking, you may feel soreness around your kidneys. You will feel this soreness on both sides of your spine under the ribcage. It may be sudden, sharp, or stabbing pain. But, it could be a dull pain. Some people may feel it on one side, while others feel it on both.
Kidney pain can sometimes be hard to pinpoint. You may feel it in the upper or lower back. However, some feel kidney pain between the buttocks and the lower ribs. Alcohol may cause instant kidney pain. But, it may not cause pain until after you stop drinking.
Symptoms of the alcohol effects on the kidneys:
- Nausea
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Support A Healthy Digestive System
A 1/2-cup serving of radishes gives you 1 gram of fiber. Eating a couple servings each day helps you reach your daily fiber intake goal. Fiber helps prevent constipation by bulking up your stool to help waste move through your intestines. Fiber also may help you manage blood sugar levels, and has been linked to weight loss and lower cholesterol.
Radish leaves may be especially beneficial. Results of a 2008 study on rats fed a high-cholesterol diet suggest that radish leaves are a good source of fiber to help improve digestive function. This may be partially due to increased bile production.
A showed that radish juice may help prevent gastric ulcers by protecting gastric tissue and strengthening the mucosal barrier. The mucosal barrier helps protect your stomach and intestines against unfriendly microorganisms and damaging toxins that may cause ulcers and inflammation.
Is Wine Bad For Your Kidneys
Alcohol causes changes in the function of the kidneys and makes them less able to filter the blood. Alcohol also affects the ability to regulate fluid and electrolytes in the body. When alcohol dehydrates the body, the drying effect can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.
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How Does Alcohol Affect Your Kidneys
The effects of alcohol on your kidneys can lead to many health issues. Find out how treatment for alcohol misuse at Discovery Institute can reduce the risk of kidney disease.
Reviewed by Dr. Jeffrey Berman, MD
New Jersey Drug & Alcohol Rehab / Alcohol Rehab / How Does Alcohol Affect Your Kidneys?
Get started on your road to recovery.
We all know that drinking too much alcohol is bad for our health. But, this is especially true for alcohol and your kidneys. Having a few drinks now and then wont typically affect your health. However, misusing alcohol and alcohol use disorder can affect the kidneys and lead to kidney disease. If you are struggling with AUD, treatment at Discovery Institute can help you.
Limit Foods With Phosphorus
Like potassium, your phosphorus levels may begin to rise as your kidney function decreases. Too much phosphorus can weaken your bones, cause calcification of your arteries, and lead to heart disease. Dr. Atta says he has patients limit phosphorus once their kidney function is at 50%. Foods and drinks higher in phosphorus include dark sodas, canned and processed food, chocolate, dairy, meat, bran, and oats. These restricted low-potassium and low-phosphorus diets are why we have patients meet with a nutritionist to make sure they know what to avoid, Dr. Atta adds.
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Wine Causes Liver Damage Too
French Study Disputes Notion of Lower Cirrhosis Risk
Nov. 11, 2002 â Wine may have other health benefits, but drinking too much of it can still put your liver at risk. A new study casts doubt over an earlier one suggesting that wine was less harmful to the liver than other spirits.
Earlier this year, a Danish study showed that wine drinkers were 70% less likely to develop cirrhosis than those who drank beer or liquor. Researchers said they thought that wineâs antioxidant properties might somehow work to reduce the ill effects on the liver caused by the beverageâs alcohol content.
But when French researchers tried to replicate those findings, they came up with very different results. Their study appears in the November/December issue of Alcohol and Alcoholism.
Cirrhosis is a potentially life-threatening condition that happens when scarring damages the liver and prevents it from working normally. Most cases of cirrhosis are caused by excessive alcohol consumption.
In comparing the two groups, researchers did not find any significant differences in the amount of total alcohol consumption. In fact, the relative percentage of pure alcohol consumed from wine was significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis compared with those with healthy livers.
Researchers say their findings âconfirm the absence of a link between the type of alcoholic beverage and the occurrence of cirrhosis is still valid.â
Source: Alcohol and Alcoholism, November/December 2002.
Best Supplements For Kidneys
According to the American Kidney Fund, approximately 37 million Americans suffer from kidney disease, but many are unaware as it doesnt present any symptoms in the early stages. While adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet will go a long way to reducing your chances of getting Chronic Kidney Disease , there are some vitamins and minerals you can take to support kidney health, such as:
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Monitor Your Over The Counter Pill Intake
If you regularly take over the counter pain meds, you could be damaging your kidneys without realising it: Regular use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as naproxen and ibuprofen can cause kidney damage, but if you dont have any existing kidney issues and only take these drugs occasionally, youre probably okay.
Clinical And Demographic Variables
All participants received lab tests and completed questionnaires on past personal medical history and health-related behaviors with the assistance of trained volunteers. The questions asking about drinking status read in the past 6 months, how often did you drink: did not drink, drank occasionally, or drank frequently? Based on this question, the participants were classified into non-drinkers, occasional drinkers, or frequent drinkers, accordingly. Questions and criteria to define cigarette smokers and BN chewers were similar. The demographic and clinical survey recorded age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, BN chewing, personal medical history , systolic blood pressure , diastolic blood pressure , SCr, total cholesterol , triglycerides , uric acid , fasting blood glucose , alanine aminotransferase , hemoglobin , white blood cell count, and urinalysis . Height and weight were used to calculate body mass index and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula was used to calculate eGFR .
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Is Ginger Good For The Kidney
Ginger has vitamin C, magnesium and other minerals that on regular consumption in the form of ginger tea can dissolve and prevent kidney stone formation. Ginger teas flush the kidneys and promote healthy blood pressure and also act as renal tonics to flush extra toxins and prevent bacteria build-up.
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Fish And Meat Products Are Bad For Kidneys
Diets rich in protein of animals may cause damages to the kidney. Any high-protein diet may exacerbate or cause already existing kidney problems, as protein metabolism creates a huge load on our kidneys and thereby, create elimination of various waste products difficult. In addition, diets rich in proteins of animals may increase the risk related to development of kidney stones because of the presence of uric acid.
On the other side, a vegetarian diet reduces the level of uric acid and avoids formation of kidney stones. You should essentially remember that uric acid is a prime cause of stone formation in kidneys and it is a byproduct formed by eating fish, seafood and meat in relatively higher amounts like every day eating.
Especially, meat-based food items trigger calcium oxalate stones, as they increase the level of calcium excreted in the form of urine and affect digestive pro-biotic adversely. Hence, in order to keep kidneys in healthy condition, you should make a habit to eat a wide range of grains, veggies, nuts and seeds to get the protein essential for the growth of your body.
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Effects Of Chronic Alcohol Consumption On The Renin
The glomeruli are sensitive to fluctuations of systemic blood pressure , and the RAS is the most important BP control system in the kidneys. However, long-term alcohol consumption can activate the RAS and enhance sympathetic nervous activity, which elevates the systemic BP and destroys the normal structure of the glomeruli. Furthermore, this change is irreversible, and the renal structure cannot return to normal once ethanol stimulation is stopped .
NO is a free gaseous signal molecule produced by the NOS family, including neuronal NO synthase , inducible NO synthase , and endothelial NO synthase , and it plays an important role in hemodynamics regulation. In general, NO is generated by mesangial cells and renal tubular epithelial cells, and it plays an important role in the regulation of glomerular and medullar hemodynamics and renin release. Although different studies have shown opposite results for the effects of NO and NOS activity with alcohol consumption , they came to a similar conclusion that NO and NOS play important roles in glomerular endothelial cell injury. In addition, long-term alcohol consumption decreases prostaglandin E2 in the kidney, which can release anti-inflammatory cytokines and dilate the afferent arteriole to increase glomerular blood flow, which causes kidney dysfunction and glomerular destruction .
Is Almond Milk Good For Kidney Patients
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Most nuts are high in phosphorus and not recommended for those following a renal diet. They are much lower in phosphorus than popular nuts like peanuts and almonds. They are also packed with healthy fats, B vitamins, magnesium, copper, iron, and manganese.
Additionally, can a person on dialysis drink almond milk? Yes. Soy milk, rice milk and almond milk can be found in most grocery stores, while other milk alternative products have also gained in popularity. However, some of these products do contain significant amounts of potassium and/or phosphorus, so its important to check labels.
Regarding this, is almond milk high in potassium?
Dairy milk contains 233 mg of phosphorus and 366 mg of potassium per cup , while the same amount of almond milk contains only 20 mg of phosphorus and 160 mg of potassium .
What type of milk is low in potassium?
Low Phosphorus Milk Substitutes- 8 oz serving
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Pretzels Chips And Crackers
Ready-to-eat snack foods like pretzels, chips, and crackers tend to be lacking in nutrients and relatively high in salt.
Also, its easy to eat more than the recommended portion size of these foods, often leading to even greater salt intake than intended.
Whats more, if chips are made from potatoes, theyll contain a significant amount of potassium as well.
SUMMARY
Pretzels, chips, and crackers are easily consumed in large portions and tend to contain high amounts of salt. Additionally, chips made from potatoes provide a considerable amount of potassium.
Abnormal Immunoreaction And Renal Tubular Dysfunction To Alcohol Consumption
Some abnormal immunological responses play a crucial role in glomerulonephritis however, some studies have found that alcohol consumption can cause an abnormal immunoreaction, and the immunocomplex deposition in the glomeruli may be a cause of renal injury and nephropathy . Kaartinen et al. found that an abnormal immunoreaction may be related to acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, which can form covalent adducts with different proteins to activate the immune response.
In addition, long-term alcohol consumption can lead to injuries of renal tubules . Na+-K+-ATPase present on the proximal tubular epithelial membrane is important for tubular reabsorption. However, recent studies have demonstrated that its activity is decreased by ROS and lipid peroxidation with the consumption of ethyl alcohol . However, the effect of ethanol on renal tubule function is not limited to sodium ions. Diuresis by inhibiting vasopressin release and impairing acid secretion have also been discovered in alcoholics. In addition, hypokalemia, hyponatremia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, and metabolic acidosis mixed with volume-contracted metabolic alkalosis are common in long-term alcohol consumption.
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