If your doctor has told you that you need to be concerned about the health of your kidneys, you may need to follow a specific diet. Chronic kidney disease, in which your kidneys fail to function properly to filter the wastes from your blood, can progress to kidney failure if you don't take steps to improve kidney health. A low-protein kidney diet can help you keep your kidney function as high as possible.
Chronic kidney disease afflicts at least 13 percent of all United States residents, according to the National Institutes of Health. Because the disease causes no symptoms, many of these people don't even know they have it. High blood pressure and diabetes represent two major causes of kidney disease, and being obese also can cause kidney damage.
A low protein diet helps the kidneys because the body, as it breaks down protein, creates waste products such as urea, according to the Medical College of Wisconsin. If you have kidney damage, your kidneys can't cope with as much waste, so you need to focus on creating less of it. If you eat less protein, you'll create less urea, which means your kidneys don't have to work so hard.
If your physician places you on a low-protein diet, you'll receive instructions on how much protein you can consume, according to Ohio State University Medical Center. You'll still need to eat some protein, and potential sources include low-fat meats such as turkey and very lean beef, nuts and eggs. Don't consume heavily processed meats such as salami or bacon, and stay away from salted meats such as ham.
On a proper diet for kidney health, you'll also need to watch your potassium intake, since your kidneys can't filter excess potassium as readily, according to the Medical College of Wisconsin. Bananas, potatoes and chocolate contain too much potassium. And, avoid foods high in phosphorus, which also can cause problems for kidney patients. High-phosphorus foods include nuts, cola and cheese.
Reducing the amount of salt you consume also can help your kidney health, because too much salt can raise your blood pressure--a risk factor for reduced kidney function--and also cause you to retain water, according to Drexel University College of Medicine. Choose foods marked "low sodium," "sodium-reduced" or "sodium free," and take your salt shaker off the table.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Single-Kidney Diet
Your kidneys are among the most vital organs in your body. They extract extra fluids from the blood, maintain an appropriate balance of minerals in the blood, help the body maintain a healthy blood pressure and create hormones that keep your blood and bones healthy. If you have only one kidney, you may need to change your lifestyle and diet.
As the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse notes, having a single kidney can lead to high blood pressure and extra protein in the urine. It also can reduce your glomerular filtration rate, meaning the single kidney does not filter the wastes in the blood as well as two kidneys. Having only one kidney doesn't mean you must follow a specific diet, but making healthy choices overall is important.
A balanced and healthy diet reduces the strain on the single kidney. The goal is to keep a proper balance of electrolytes, minerals and fluids in the bloodstream. Symptoms of an improper diet can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
The National Kidney Foundation recommends that single-kidney patients reduce their sodium intake, because excessive levels of sodium can cause fluid buildup in the blood. High levels of potassium and phosphorus also are problematic, because a single kidney can have difficulty filtering out the excess in the blood. High levels of phosphorus in the bloodstream prompt your body to pull calcium from your bones, which weakens them and makes them more likely to break.
Having only one kidney generally doesn't mean you need to make drastic changes in your life. You can still exercise and play sports. In fact, doing so is recommended, since exercise helps control blood pressure. Eating a balanced diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and dairy products also is recommended. Eating foods from all the food groups can help your single kidney filter the waste materials in your bloodstream more efficiently.
Don't add salt to your food, since doing so will cause sodium buildup in your bloodstream. Pay attention to your water and fluid intake: Your body needs two to three liters of water a day to help filter out unwanted toxins. Boil your vegetables and fruits to reduce their potassium levels. To reduce phosphorus in the bloodstream, avoid consuming soda, beer, milk and cheese.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Kidney Beans and Diet
Kidney beans are dry beans that are part of the Phaseolus vulgaris L. species, along with navy, black and pinto beans. According to the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, dry beans such as kidney beans have a long agricultural history. They were first planted in Central and South America around 7,000 years ago. Kidney beans are an asset to a nutritious diet, thanks to their high content of fiber, protein and essential minerals.Kidney beans fall under both the "meat and beans" and "vegetable" groups in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Pyramid. A half-cup of kidney beans -- one serving, by USDA standards -- is the equivalent of 2 ounces of meat in the "meat and beans" group and a half-cup serving in the "vegetable" group. From a nutritional standpoint, kidney beans offer the same benefits as meats, poultry and fish. Vegetarians and vegans may rely on dry beans and peas as an alternative protein source. However, the USDA recommends several cups of dry beans each week as a part of everyone's diet.One cup of mature, boiled, unsalted kidney beans contains 225 calories, only 7 of which come from fat, according to Self Nutrition Data. The beans have no cholesterol and only 2 mg sodium and 1 mg sugar. Kidney beans are a good source of protein, as 1 cup contains 15 mg, or 31 percent of your Daily Value, or DV. A cup of kidney beans has 40 mg total carbohydrates, 45 percent of which come from fiber.According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the percentage of DV gives you an idea if a food is high or low in certain nutrients. Five percent or less is considered low, while 20 percent or more is high. Kidney beans are very high in folate, with one cup containing 230 mcg, giving you 58 percent of your DV. Other key vitamins in kidney beans include vitamin K and thiamine. You get 19 percent of your thiamine DV from two 1/2 cup servings.Kidney beans contain a wealth of minerals, nutrients that plants get from the earth's soil. One cup of kidney beans gives you 19 percent or more of your DV of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and copper. Kidney beans are rich in manganese; one cup contains 0.8 mg, which is 38 percent of your DV.Kidney beans, like other dry legumes, must be reconstituted before you cook them, advises the Mayo Clinic. To get rid of indigestible sugars that give you gas, put a pound of kidney beans in 10 cups boiling water and boil for for two to three minutes. Remove from heat, cover the beans and let them sit overnight. Rinse the soaked kidney beans the next day, add them back to the pot and cover them with roughly three times their volume in water. Season as desired. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until done, stirring occasionally. Check the beans for tenderness after 45 minutes.
Kidney Stones and Diet
Renal stones, also called kidney stones, are most common in people over age 40, affecting more men than women, and occur when small hard deposits composed of mineral and acid salts form in the kidneys, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kidney stones rarely cause permanent damage, but passing a stone can be painful. Multiple factors, from dehydration to heredity, can increase renal stone risk, with diet also playing a role, and people prone to this condition may have to adjust their diet, depending on the type of stone they have, according to the Mayo Clinic.Knowing the type of kidney stone you have can determine what, if any, dietary changes you may need to make to help prevent future stones. Most kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate, forming when organic molecules called oxalates (found in the body and in foods) bind with calcium in urine, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Clearinghouse, or NKUDIC, a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, or NIDDK, at the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.
Less common stones include calcium phosphate stones, forming in alkaline urine; uric acid stones, affected by purines in food; cystine stones, due to a genetic disorder causing the amino acid cystine to leak into the urine; and struvite stones, caused by kidney infections and not affected by diet, according to the NKUDIC.
If your kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate, you may need to avoid certain high oxalate foods, such as spinach, beets, rhubarb, strawberries, wheat bran, nuts, chocolate and tea, which have been found to raise urine oxalate levels most, increasing stone risk, according to Dr. Linda Massey at Washington State University in Spokane, Washington, and colleagues in a study published in August 1993 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Risk for uric acid kidney stones can increase from consuming foods rich in substances called purines, such as seafood and organ meats, which can increase urine's uric acid levels, according to the NKUDIC.
Sodium intake should not exceed 2,400 mg daily, as salt can cause increased calcium excretion into the urine from the kidneys and increase the risk for calcium binding with oxalate or phosphorus and forming kidney stones, according to NKUDIC.
People with calcium oxalate kidney stones should include about 800mg of calcium daily from food, while calcium supplements should be taken with meals to offer the same benefits, as calcium can bind with food oxalates in the digestive tract, preventing them from entering the urinary tract and forming stones, recommends NKUDIC.
Drinking enough water is important to help dilute urine, and people with kidney stones in general should drink enough fluids to produce at least two quarts of water a day, but grapefruit juice and dark colas should be avoided by people with calcium oxalate kidney stones, says NKUDIC.
It's important to keep in mind that diet is just one of a number of factors, including weight and heredity, which can affect kidney stone formation, so check with a health professional if you are considering modifying your diet to decrease kidney stone risk or are considering taking large doses of a vitamin or mineral supplement, notes NKUDIC.
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