Watch Out For Signs Of Kidney Disease
A person with kidney disease has progressive loss of function of their kidneys. Kidney disease is sometimes called a silent disease because it often doesnt cause symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly. Its not uncommon for people to have lost up to 90% of their kidney function before experiencing symptoms of kidney disease.
Keep an eye out for the below signs and symptoms of kidney disease, and if you have any concerns, see your doctor.
Signs of reduced kidney function can include:
- high blood pressure
- change in how often you need to go to the toilet and how much urine you produce
- changes to your urine for example frothy or foaming urine
- blood in your urine
- increased puffiness around your legs, ankles or eyes
- pain in the kidney area
- tiredness and fatigue
Top 5 Healthy Drinks For People With Kidney Disease
TopicsKidney KitchenHealthy livingNutritionHealthy eating
Many of us love reaching for a refreshing, ice cold drink on a hot summer day, or cozying up with a warm beverage during the dead of winter. But, did you know that the drinks you choose to quench your thirst can have a tremendous impact on your kidney health?
As a nephrologist and Kidney Kitchen® contributor, drink-related questions are some of the most common questions I get. Whether you need to watch out for certain nutrients or have fluid restrictions that you need to stick to, there are ways to enjoy healthy drinks for your kidneys. Remember each person with kidney disease should stick to the food and fluid plan you discussed with your doctor and dietitian, as it addresses your specific kidney function, fluid needs and electrolyte imbalances . Here are five of my favorite drinks that are generally healthy for people with kidney disease:
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Juice Detoxes & Cleanses
Although a small glass of juice can be a part of a kidney friendly diet, juice should never be used in place of an entire meal. Or even worse in place of food for an entire day or more.
Unfortunately, many juice detox and cleanse regimens claim to be good for you. Even worse, many claim to be good for your kidneys. No detox or cleanse will help your kidneys. In fact, many of these detox regimens can hurt your kidneys. I recommend avoiding these quick fixes at all costs.
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Good Drinks For Kidneys
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It doesnt just matter how much you drink for kidney health but what youre drinking that makes drinks good for kidneys. Beverages can be great to keep you hydrated and allow the kidneys to filter out toxins and wastes.
There are certain drinks that have good-for-you qualities related to your kidneys. Learn here what makes for some of the best drinks for kidneys.
Renal Diet Foods List
If you intend to follow a healthy renal diet plan, the first step to take is to stock your kitchen with the right foods. Youll also need to educate yourself on renal diet restrictions and be careful to avoid foods that contribute too much sodium, potassium and phosphorus to your diet.
In recent years, advice about the best diet for people with kidney disease has started shifting. A 2017 study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that healthy dietary patterns, as opposed to a traditional renal diet, were associated with lower mortality in people with kidney disease. Healthy eating patterns referred to diets that included fruits and vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains and high-fiber foods, while also limiting red meat, sodium and refined sugar intake.
This finding is noteworthy because it goes against the traditional renal diet guidelines that were recommended in the past. Recent findings from the DIET-HD multi-national cohort study that included over 8,000 hemodialysis patients also showed that a high adherence to the Mediterranean or DASH-type diet was not associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality or all-cause mortality, and actually helped reduce mortality risk.
Based on the latest research, here are renal diet foods to eat:
And here are renal diet foods and ingredients to avoid:
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What Are The Ways To Make A Kidney
If you have diabetes along with kidney disease, you need to control your blood sugar to prevent more damage to your kidneys. A diabetic diet and a kidney-friendly diet share a lot of the same food items, but there are some important differences. There are some ways your kidney-friendly diet and diabetic diet can work together. Below are a few food items that are good for you, if youre diagnosed with both diabetes and kidney disease.
- Fruits: Berries, papaya, cherries, apples and plums
- Vegetables: Cauliflower, onions and spinach
- Proteins: Lean meats , eggs and unsalted seafood
- Carbohydrates: Whole-wheat breads, sandwich buns, unsalted crackers and pasta
- Fluids: Water, clear soups and unsweetened tea
- If you drink orange juice to treat low blood sugar, switch to kidney-friendly apple juice. It will provide the same blood sugar boost with a lot less potassium.
Your doctor and/or dietician will help you to create a meal plan that helps you control your blood sugar level while limiting sodium, phosphorus, potassium and fluids in the body.
High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
High blood pressure is increased pressure inside the arteries that carry blood from your heart to all parts of your body. Untreated, high blood pressure can damage your kidneys.
Also, high blood pressure can develop as a result of kidney disease or renal artery stenosis . Your kidneys control the amount of fluid in your blood vessels and produce a hormone called renin that helps to control blood pressure.
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Treatment For Kidney Disease
If detected early enough, the progress of kidney disease can be slowed and sometimes even prevented. In the early stages, changes to diet and medication can help to increase the life of your kidneys.
If kidney function is reduced to less than 10 per cent of normal, the loss of function must be replaced by dialysis or a kidney transplant. Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that removes waste products and extra water from the blood by filtering it through a special membrane .
Renal Diet Protocol And Eating Plan
Here is an overview of the renal diet guidelines:
Here is an example of a renal diet menu:
- Breakfasts: whole grain pancakes topped with ¼ cup walnuts and 1 cup fruit, plus 8 ounces of milk or plain yogurt 2 eggs with cooked greens and 1 piece of toast or 1 cup homemade hash brown potatoes smoothie made with collagen protein, berries, spinach and yogurt/milk 8 ounces plain yogurt, ½ cup blueberries, 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, ¼ cup granola.
- Lunches: Salad with fish/chicken and dressed with olive oil and vinegar 4 ounces tuna or salmon salad served with sweet potato and veggies.
- Dinners: 4 ounces of fish or chicken salad with cooked veggies and 1/2 cup rice or quinoa stew/soup made with meat and veggies and a side salad.
- Snacks: fruit, yogurt, handful of nuts, protein smoothie or yogurt.
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Kidneys Have Lots Of Reserve But Getting Ahead Of Small Decreases In Function Prevents Later Damage
You often hear older people say I have weak kidneys. That doesn’t mean they can’t do their job or are destined to fail. But it does indicate you have some form of chronic kidney disease. The kidneysthe body’s blood-filtering urine factoryhave less capacity to filter toxins from the blood and excrete them in the urine.
Half of U.S. adults over 75 may have below-normal kidney function. Most of them will never get sick from it, unless they have other conditions such as diabetes or uncontrolled hypertension, or take medications that can injure the kidney.
When Kidneys Require An Er Visit
Most chronic kidney ailments or congenital disabilities are detected in children by a Pediatrician. For adults, the protocol isnt as clear cut. Most symptoms of kidney distress signal our bodies as a symptom of another problem.
The most common reason we see patients in the ER for kidney distress is for kidney stones. Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract.
Kidney stones cause severe pain of the abdomen, groin, or genitals, or side. You may also experience:
About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes .
Works Cited
Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Mar. 2019, www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/2019-national-facts.html.
37 Million American Adults Now Estimated to Have Chronic Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation, 27 Sept. 2019, www.kidney.org/news/37-million-american-adults-now-estimated-to-have-chronic-kidney-disease
Choi, Justin. 8 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy. Healthline, 1 Feb. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health.
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Foods That Are Good For The Kidneys
In this article:
The kidneys play crucial roles in the bodys functioning. Therefore, it is essential to consume a healthy diet and implement lifestyle modifications in ways that promote kidney health.
Measures such as weight management and low salt and sugar intake should be taken. These help prevent hypertension and diabetes, which are the two leading causes of kidney problems.
Control Your Blood Sugar:
People with high blood sugar are at greater risk of developing kidney damage because their kidneys have to work extra hard to filter the excess sugar from their blood. Over time, this extra strain may lead to serious kidney damage before you can say what vitamins are good for kidneys, but its easy to prevent or reverse if you can catch it early on.
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Why Is An Eating Plan Important
What you eat and drink affects your health. Staying at a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet that is low in salt and fat can help you control your blood pressure. If you have diabetes, you can help control your blood sugar by carefully choosing what you eat and drink. Controlling high blood pressure and diabetes may help prevent kidney disease from getting worse.
A kidney-friendly diet may also help protect your kidneys from further damage. A kidney-friendly diet limits certain foods to prevent the minerals in those foods from building up in your body.
Control Your Blood Sugar
People with diabetes, or a condition that causes high blood sugar, may develop kidney damage. When your bodys cells cant use the glucose in your blood, your kidneys are forced to work extra hard to filter your blood. Over years of exertion, this can lead to life-threatening damage.
However, if you can control your blood sugar, you reduce the risk of damage. Also, if the damage is caught early, your doctor can take steps to reduce or prevent additional damage.
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Watch Your Blood Pressure
Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure has no symptoms, but it can increase your risk of kidney and heart problems.
You can get a simple, quick and painless blood pressure check free of charge at your GP surgery and many high street pharmacies.
If your blood pressure is higher than it should be, a GP can suggest lifestyle changes or, if necessary, prescribe medicine to reduce your blood pressure.
An ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
Garlic For Kidney Health
If you are suffering from CKD you can benefit from garlic in your diet.
- Garlic contains diuretic properties. It helps in the elimination of salt/sodium and water from the body, helping the kidneys to flush out more sodium through urine.
- When kidney vessels are damaged, they are not able to filter the water from the blood on their own.
- Salt absorbs water from the blood and reduces the fluids in the blood vessels, thereby decreasing pressure on the arteries.
- Garlic is a food good for kidney repair, as it also protects kidneys from the negative effects of heavy metals, like cadmium, lead etc.
Tip: Since dialysis patients cannot take salt, they can use garlic to flavor food as a substitute!
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Foods To Avoid Kidney Health
Apart from the above-mentioned food, you should avoid a few foods to maintain kidney health. I will explain it very quickly avoid Phosphorous-rich foods which can increase the risk of kidney damage. List as under
- Red and processed meat
- Packed, instant, and pre-made meals
- Diary products
Foods for kidney FAQ
Which foods to avoid for kidney health?
Avoid potassium, sodium and phosphorus-rich foods to keep your kidney healthy. Such as red meat, canned food, junk foods, etc.
What foods is good for kidneys?
Include the foods rich in vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B and folates like olive oil, cauliflower, garlic, and eggwhites.
What foods to cleanse the kidneys?
The kidneys are self-cleansing, just drink enough water and other liquid to hydrate your body. Include vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage onions, etc. in your diet. It also includes fruits like apples and berries.
Which oil is good for kidney health?
The oil helps to lower oxidation and helps the kidney function smoothly. Nowadays, virgin and extra-virgin olive oil is recommended by experts for better results.
Eating the best foods for kidney health will improve your overall fitness and health. it reduces the chance of toxin accumulation in the body, hence decreases the chance of kidney-related diseases like kidney stones, and abnormalities in blood pressure.
I hope this short information help to maintain your overall health. If you like this information! Please share this post with your friends and family.
Best Foods For Kidney Repair: Healthy Kidney Tips
People suffering from chronic kidney diseases or dialysis patients need to include kidney friendly foods in their diet for a healthy kidney. Check out the top food for kidney repair, many of which contain antioxidants that protect the body from over-oxidation.
Kidneys are important organs for eliminating wastes and toxins from the body, stimulate red blood production and regulate the blood pressure. If you have a kidney problem, the first thing your doctor will do is to give you medications. However, studies reveal that the best thing you could do for your kidneys is take a few servings of fruits and veggies every day. It could save your kidneys and also a lot of unnecessary medical costs.
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More than 30 million people in America suffer from chronic kidney disease with another 20 million at an increased risk, and its not just about not drinking enough water. In the early stages, your doctor might not impose limits, but for worse conditions, you might be put on a renal diet. It is important to keep to proper levels of sodium, potassium and phosphorus.
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Drink Plenty Of Fluids
Theres no magic behind the cliché advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, but its a good goal precisely because it encourages you to stay hydrated. Regular, consistent water intake is healthy for your kidneys.
Water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys. It also lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease.
Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 liters in a day. Exactly how much water you need depends largely on your health and lifestyle. Factors like climate, exercise, gender, overall health, and whether or not youre pregnant or breastfeeding are important to consider when planning your daily water intake.
People who have previously had kidney stones should drink a bit more water to help prevent stone deposits in the future.
How Is Chronic Kidney Disease Detected
Early detection and treatment of chronic kidney disease are the keys to keeping kidney disease from progressing to kidney failure. Some simple tests can be done to detect early kidney disease. They are:
It is especially important that people who have an increased risk for chronic kidney disease have these tests. You may have an increased risk for kidney disease if you:
- are older
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