9 Dietary Suggestions For Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy!
Jun 03, 2024
As renal function declines, doctors often require chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients to have a high-quality low-protein, low-salt, low-purine, low-phosphorus, and low-potassium diet. A reasonable diet can not only provide the body with sufficient nutrition for health and improve the metabolic environment but also reduce the burden on the kidneys and improve symptoms, thereby delaying the progression of kidney disease. Nutritional treatment for CKD patients has become an important part of CKD-integrated treatment.
Click to Cistanche for kidney disease
Today, let's share with you the 9 recommended dietary strategies for CKD patients and see how kidney patients should eat reasonably and healthily.
How should kidney patients eat healthily? Start with these 9 aspects!
01 Maintain a low-protein diet
Many people will wonder, if almost all kidney patients have varying degrees of proteinuria, and some patients even suffer from severe hypoproteinemia due to a large amount of proteinuria. Shouldn't they eat more high-protein foods to replenish the lost protein?
In fact, proteinuria is caused by damage to the glomerular filtration barrier, which causes the protein that should be reabsorbed to leak into the urine. The fundamental solution to this problem is to reduce the immune inflammation of the kidneys and repair the damaged filtration barrier through immunosuppressant therapy combined with auxiliary therapy, rather than exogenous protein supplementation, because no matter how the protein is supplemented, it will still leak out from the damaged sieve holes, and the nitrogen products produced by protein decomposition need to be metabolized by the kidneys, which will increase the burden on the kidneys.
Benefits of a low-protein diet for CKD patients:
1. Improve metabolic abnormalities and reduce nitrogen-containing products and acidic products;
2. Reduce the high perfusion and high filtration state in the glomerulus;
3. Reduce proteinuria to delay the occurrence of renal vascular sclerosis and hyperparathyroidism;
4. Reduce the activty of renal immune cells and reduce kidney damage.
02 Maintain a low-salt diet
Reducing salt intake can reduce the incidence of hypertension, prevent arteriosclerosis, reduce glomerular pressure, reduce proteinuria, improve renal hemodynamics, and delay kidney damage.
Salt control requires sodium chloride <6g/d, which is about the capacity of a beer bottle cap.
In addition to table salt, we should also pay attention to the intake of hidden salt in condiments such as chicken essence, soy sauce, and bean paste, as well as the intake of high-salt foods such as salted duck, sausage, spiced melon seeds, and candied fruit, which often make people consume too much salt without realizing it. Try to choose steaming, sweet and sour (for non-diabetic patients) instead of pepper salt, braised, etc. for cooking.
Low-sodium salt is not recommended because it contains 30% potassium chloride, which can easily cause hyperkalemia in patients with CKD stage 3 or above.
03 Adhere to a low-purine diet
Persistent hyperuricemia can cause urate crystals to deposit in the interstitial tissue of the renal medulla, activate the local renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, damage endothelial cells, cause pathological changes such as glomerular high pressure and interstitial fibrosis [2], and aggravate kidney damage. Therefore, CKD patients should follow a low-purine diet.
What is a low-purine diet? What is the purine content in meat and vegetables? How to choose? The answers are all here!
04 Pay attention to a low-fat diet
Lipid metabolism disorders can lead to kidney disease and accelerate its deterioration. Hyperlipidemia plays an important role in inducing renal damage and is an independent risk factor for the progression of CKD. A low-fat diet can delay the deterioration of renal function to a certain extent.
Low-fat diet recommendations:
1. Reduce fat intake;
2. Control the intake of egg yolks, shellfish offal, etc.;
3. Drink milk in moderation, low-fat or skim milk is recommended;
4. It is recommended to eat deep-sea fish rich in unsaturated fatty acids;
5. Encourage the consumption of coarse grains such as oats;
6. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
05 Maintain a low-phosphorus diet
A high-phosphorus diet can lead to hyperparathyroidism and aggravate cardiovascular calcification, including microvascular calcification that makes up the kidney, leading to further deterioration of renal function.
For patients with CKD and hyperphosphatemia, it is recommended to take phosphorus <800mg/d. Phosphorus usually coexists with protein, and controlling protein controls phosphorus to a certain extent.
06 Intake of low-potassium foods
More than 90% of the body's potassium is excreted by the kidneys. When patients have decreased renal function, decreased urine volume, metabolic acidosis, use of potassium-sparing diuretics, and consumption of high-potassium foods, they will experience symptoms of high potassium. Hyperkalemia can affect cardiac electrophysiology, leading to bradycardia, and severe cases of cardiac arrest.
Dietary recommendations for patients with CKD hyperkalemia:
1. Limit foods and drugs with high potassium content;
2. Stop consuming fruits;
3. Vegetables with high potassium content, such as spinach and lettuce, should be blanched before consumption;
4. Do not consume low-sodium salt;
5. Do not buy foods with added potassium (check the description of food added ingredients before purchasing).
07 Pay attention to drinking water in moderation
For patients with moderate to severe edema, oliguria in CKD stage 3 or above, heart failure, or poor dialysis ultrafiltration, limit water intake.
Drinking water suggestions:
1. Drink boiled water and less soup (soup contains not only water but also high salt);
2. Drink light tea, not strong tea or canned drinks (such as juice and cola);
3. Drink water in small amounts and multiple times.
08 Eat more iron-containing foods
Renal anemia is a common complication of CKD patients, and ischemia will also aggravate kidney damage.
Dietary suggestions:
1. In addition to supplementing recombinant human erythropoietin, it is recommended to supplement hematopoietic raw materials iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12;
2. Eat animal foods rich in iron, which are better absorbed by the human body;
3. Eat blood products appropriately, such as duck blood, pig blood, pig liver, and chicken liver (people with high uric acid and high blood lipids should control their intake).
09 Eat more calcium-containing foods
For patients with renal insufficiency, due to lack of active vitamin D, loss of tubular function, and impaired phosphorus excretion, phosphorus is too high and calcium absorption is impaired, resulting in a low calcium and high phosphorus state, secondary hyperparathyroidism, bone mineral loss, bone malnutrition, and prone to pathological fractures.
Calcium supplement diet recommendations:
1. Dairy products include milk, yogurt, and cheese;
2. Soy products include soy milk, soy milk, dried tofu, and tofu (old tofu is recommended);
3. Vegetables include kale, mustard greens, and edamame;
4. Seafood includes dried shrimp, river shrimp, sea bass, loach, etc.
How Does Cistanche Treat Kidney Disease?
Cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat various health conditions, including kidney disease. It is derived from the dried stems of Cistanche deserticola, a plant native to the deserts of China and Mongolia. The main active components of cistanche are phenylethanoid glycosides, echinacoside, and acteoside, which have been found to have beneficial effects on kidney health.
Kidney disease, also known as renal disease, refers to a condition in which the kidneys are not functioning properly. This can result in a buildup of waste products and toxins in the body, leading to various symptoms and complications. Cistanche may help treat kidney disease ase through several mechanisms.
Firstly, cistanche has been found to have diuretic properties, meaning it can increase urine production and help eliminate waste products from the body. This can help relieve the burden on the kidneys and prevent the buildup of toxins. By promoting diuresis, cistanche may also help Reduce high blood pressure, a common complication of kidney disease.
Moreover, cistanche has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body's antioxidant defenses, plays a key role in the progression of kidney disease. ies help neutralize free radicals and reduce Oxidative stress, thereby protecting the kidneys from damage. The phenylethanoid glycosides found in cistanche have been particularly effective in scavenging free radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.
Additionally, cistanche has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation is another key factor in the development and progression of kidney disease. Cistanche's anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit the activation of mandatory pathways for inflammation, thus alleviating inflammation in the kidneys.
Furthermore, cistanche has been shown to have immunomodulatory effects. In kidney disease, the immune system can be dysregulated, leading to excessive inflammation and tissue damage. Cistanche helps regulate the immune response by modulating the production and activity of immune cells, such as T cells and macrophages. This immune regulation helps reduce inflammation and prevent further damage to the kidneys.
Moreover, cistanche has been found to improve renal function by promoting the regeneration of renal tubes with cells. Renal tubular epithelial cells play a crucial role in the filtration and reabsorption of waste products and electrolytes. In kidney disease, these cells can be damaged, leading to damaged renal function. Cistanche's ability to promote the regeneration of these cells helps restore proper renal function and improve overall kidney health.
In addition to these direct effects on the kidneys, cistanche has been found to have beneficial effects on other organs and systems in the body. This holistic approach to health is particularly important in kidney disease, as the condition often affects multiple organs and systems. che has been shown to have protective effects on the liver, heart, and blood vessels, which are commonly affected by kidney disease. By promoting the health of these organs, cistanche helps improve overall kidney function and prevent further complications.
In conclusion, cistanche is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used for centuries to treat kidney disease. Its active components have diuretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative effects, which help improve renal function and protect the kidneys from further damage. , cistanche has beneficial effects on other organs and systems, making it a holistic approach to treating kidney disease.
