How does Diet Affect our Kidney?

We need to adjust our diet according our sodium level, potassium level, protein level and phosphorus level if we are a patient of kidney disease and this is because what we eat can affect how the kidney works.

Sodium

Sodium is a mineral that can be found in salt. Our body needs a certain amount of sodium to function properly. For people with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), they usually have high sodium level which can elevate blood pressure and cause fluid retention in ankles, lung, abdomen and even the whole body. Therefore, limiting sodium intake is very necessary for CKD patients.

Protein

Our body uses protein to build and repair muscle and when protein is digested, waste products are formed. Kidneys help to remove the waste products, so with kidney problems, we need to limit protein intake to reduce the generation of waste products. However, considering protein is the necessary substance of our body, we can ingest some high quality protein to meet our physical demand.

Potassium

Potassium is one of the necessary mineral and our muscles can not wok well without it. Usually, potassium level in blood is kept in a normal range and when we ingest too much potassium at one time, our kidneys filter the extra potassium into our urine. With kidney problem, potassium build up in our blood, which can make our heart beat irregularly. Also, too much potassium even cause cause our heart to stop beating.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus helps keep our bones strong and healthy. Similar with potassium, excessive phosphorus are also needed to be discharged by our kidneys. Once kidney function is affected, phosphorus level in blood increase. Too much phosphorus can cause loss of calcium from our bones and make them weak and brittle. Therefore, avoiding foods with high phosphorus is very necessary for CKD patients.

Our diet affect our health directly, so adjusting our diet on the basis of our illness condition means a lot.