Is Chocolate Bad For The Kidney Functions

For those that have kidney problem and kidney dysfunction, their doctors and dietitian will recommend them to avoid chocolate because it is high in phosphorus, caffeine and oxalate and it can increase the risk of kidney stone and worsen already damaged renal functions.

Chocolate is high-phosphorus

Decline of kidney functions often cause phosphorus buildup in the blood and if serum potassium is above 5.5mg/dL, it is recommended that patients should avoid chocolate and other high-phosphorus foods like coffee, cocoa, nuts, dairy products, etc.

Too much phosphorus in the blood can cause calcium loss from the bones and cause a series of bone problems such as osteoporosis, bone fracture, etc. What is more worse, high serum phosphorus can cause calcium deposition in blood vessels, muscles and other tissues. Calcium deposition in the blood vessels can increase the risk of cardiovascular lesions. Limiting phosphorus intake through diets can help ease the symptoms of kidney dysfunction.

Chocolate can make kidney stone more likely to occur

Chocolate is high in oxalate which is the composition of one common type kidney stones. Eating too much chocolate can increase the risk of kidney stone which can be the underlying cause of kidney problem or the complication of other kidney problems such as polycystic kidney disease.

Chocolate contains much caffeine

Chocolate contains high caffeine which should be limited by kidney disease patients because it can cause dehydration and further increase serum creatinine level. For PKD patients, caffeine can promote the secretion of cyst fluid and stimulate the cysts to experience rapid growth.

However if you have no kidney problem or if your blood phosphorus level is in normal range, there is no need to avoid chocolate because the significance of low-phosphorus diets is not to prevent renal damages but not to aggravate the already impaired renal functions.

Anyway, it is necessary to have regular follow-up checks to monitor blood pressure, electrolyte levels, serum creatinine so as to know the illness progression and take proper measures accordingly if necessary.