Dietary Advice for Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

A person with stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) should choose what they eat properly based on individualized illness condition. There is no single diet that is suitable for everyone. The following introduce some dietary tips for people with Stage 4 CKD to improve their nutrition status and delay progression of the kidney function.

Watch out for salty foods

Management of blood pressure is critical for people at stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The kidneys play a role in regulating blood pressure. Combined high blood pressure, commonly seen in stage 4 CKD, can worsen damage on the kidneys. Eating too much sodium can cause swelling and raise people’s blood pressure. You should limit your sodium intake by reducing the amount of processed salty foods such as fast foods, frozen meals, canned soups and vegetables, lunch meats and cheese.

Balance the intake of proteins

Protein is an essential nutrient for maintaining your muscle strength and supporting the immune system to fight infections, but eating more than you need is harmful for the kidneys because they help remove excess protein from your body. People with kidney diseases should choose lower-protein content foods such as chicken drumsticks, egg white or tofu instead of chicken breast, tuna or ground beef.

Potassium and phosphorus

Kidneys function to regulate serum potassium levels. In stage 4 chronic kidney disease the kidneys are so severely impaired that potassium build up in bloodstream. Elevated potassium reading can cause muscle weakness and cramps, and irregular heartbeats. Reduce your potassium intake by choosing low-potassium products such as apples, carrots, green beans and berries, and avoid high potassium foods such as bananas and potatoes. A buildup of phosphorus is also seen in stag 4 CKD. High phosphorus can cause your bones to get broken easily. Reduce foods that contain rich phosphorus such as dairy, cola, beans, nuts and processed foods.

Change to a plant based diet

As you reduce the intake of proteins, you will need to increase your consumption of grains, fruits and vegetables. They are beneficial for your health, low in cholesterols and fat, and reduce your risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, people also need to always to check the potassium and phosphorus content from the vegetables, and know what your blood levels are so as to ensure your blood levels of the important electrolytes are within normal range.

The above introduces about some dietary tips for people at stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). People need to know that although there are some general dietary suggestions they will always keep their condition at check and talk with doctors if there is any need for dietary modifications if the illness condition fluctuates. If you have stage 4 CKD without knowing what can be eaten, you may contact us directly and we will be ready for help for free.