Kidneys are small, bean-shaped organs that are vital for your health. You may never think much about kidneys, but YES! They are performing so many important tasks on an everyday basis that you never know about.
Have you ever heard of kidney failure due to high blood pressure? It seems untrue, right? How can it be? Well, it’s a fact.
Let’s explore more about the importance of kidneys for your health, foods good for the kidneys, and what you should eat to maintain healthy and functioning kidneys.
Table of Contents
What Do Kidneys Do in Your Body?
Kidneys do many important functions; which includes, filtering waste products, releasing hormones that regulate blood pressure, balancing fluids in the body, generating urine, purify our blood and many other vital functions.
Damage to these important organs can occur in a variety of ways.
Study shows that the most frequent risk factors for renal disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity, smoking, genetics, gender, and age can all enhance the risk.
Blood arteries in the kidneys are damaged by uncontrolled blood sugar and excessive blood pressure, limiting their ability to operate optimally.
Waste, including waste products from food, builds up in the blood when the kidneys aren’t performing properly.
As a result, persons with renal illness must stick to a particular diet.
Best Foods for Kidneys: What Fruit is Good?
It is essential for young people to take care of their kidneys, and follow a healthy lifestyle and diet plan. Add foods good for the kidney in your diet plans.
Let’s get to know which these foods and fruits are:
Drink a lot of Water: Your Kidneys Love it
Water is the most important drink for the body. The cells use water to transport toxins into the bloodstream.
The kidneys then use water to filter these toxins out and to create the urine that transports them out of the body.
A person can support these functions by drinking whenever they feel thirsty. Read more about how much water you should drink every day.
Cut Out Sodium from Your Diet
Sodium is found in a variety of foods. Table salt is the most common source.
Blood pressure is affected by sodium. It also aids in the maintenance of your body’s water balance.
Kidneys that are in good shape keep salt levels in check.
However, if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), your body accumulates extra sodium and water. Swollen ankles, hypertension, shortness of breath, and fluid buildup around your heart and lungs are all symptoms of this.
In your daily diet, you should strive for fewer than 2 grams of sodium.
What Fruits to Eat for Kidneys?
While all fruits are healthy, and renal patients can eat them all, persons with kidney disease should eat low-potassium fruits such as apple, papaya, pears, strawberries, guava, and pineapple.
Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are high in flavor and low in potassium, but that’s not the only reason they’re good for kidneys.
These delectable vegetables are also high in vitamin C and A, as well as vitamin B6, folic acid, and fiber.
Red bell peppers are beneficial to your health because they contain lycopene, an antioxidant that helps to prevent cancer.
Eat More Apples: The Beauty Fruit
Apples lower cholesterol, decrease constipation, prevent heart disease, and lower cancer risk.
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, thanks to its high fiber content and anti-inflammatory chemicals.
Good news for renal disease patients who have already had their fair share of doctor visits.
To make a unique Apple Onion Omelet, combine this kidney diet winner with the good-for-you item, onions.
Apples are flexible in that they can be eaten raw, roasted, stewed, made into apple sauce, or consumed as apple juice or apple cider.
Take Healthy Fats from Fatty Fishes
Salmon, tuna, and other cold-water fatty fish with high omega-3 fatty acid content can be a healthy supplement to any diet.
Omega-3 fatty acids are not produced by the body, so they must be obtained through diet. Healthy fats can be found in abundance in fatty fish.
Omega-3 fats may improve blood pressure and reduce fat levels in the blood, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Finding natural strategies to lower blood pressure, which is a risk factor for kidney disease, may help protect the kidneys.
Eat More Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli are nutritional staples that are high in vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
Broccoli is a great source of antioxidants that may enhance your health. It does so by reducing inflammation, improving blood sugar control, boosting immunity, and promoting heart health.
However, because these foods are high in potassium, they may not be acceptable for persons on a low-potassium diet or those who are on dialysis.
Add Tiny Berries to Your Fruits
Dark berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant components. These may help to protect the body’s cells from harm.
Berries are likely to be a better choice for fulfilling a sweet tooth than other sugary foods.
Eat the Egg White
Eggs are a simple protein, but the yolks are very high in phosphorus. People with CKD can make omelet or scrambled eggs using just the egg whites.
Have Some More Cabbage
There are a lot of phytochemicals in cruciferous plants like cabbage. Many phytochemicals have also been shown to help prevent and treat cancer.
Cabbage is high in vitamin K, vitamin C, and fiber, as well as vitamin B6 and folic acid, all of which help protect the kidneys from harm.
Read more about fiber-rich foods to add to your diet.
Foods to Avoid for People with Kidney Disease
For people with chronic kidney diseases, some foods may be difficult for the body to process and might place more stress on the kidney.
These foods include: white potatoes, red meat, dairy products, sugary beverages, avocado, bananas, canned foods, pickled foods, alcohol, egg yolks.
People looking to protect their kidneys from future damage may also want to consider eating these foods in moderation.
Is Milk Good for Kidney Patients?
Dairy products must be limited in the diet of persons with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Low-fat milk, for example, contains high quantities of phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, which is bad for someone on a kidney diet.
Bottom Line!!!!
The kidney-friendly foods listed above are excellent options for those on a renal diet.While adhering to a renal diet can feel limiting at times, there are many tasty items that can be included in a healthy, well-balanced, kidney-friendly meal plan.
Always consult with a well-known nephrologist first, before making any choice If you have kidney disease. You may book an appointment via Healthwire.pk or call at (042) 32500989.
