Diet tips to keep your kidneys healthy

Follow these expert diet tips to keep your kidneys healthy and prevent kidney diseases and infections.

By: Tania Tarafdar | | Updated: May 24, 2016 4:23 pm

Kidneys are among the most vital organs of your body as they help process everything you put in your body from medications, foods to alcohol. A proper diet can revitalise your system and rid your system of harmful virus, bacteria and parasites. Cleansing the kidneys is important to prevent kidney infection and kidney stone formation. Follow this diet by Delhi-based nutritionist, Dr Kanika Girdhar to bolster your immunity and keep your kidneys healthy.

Load up on fruits and vegetables
Including more fruits and vegetables in your diet can reduce your risk of kidney infection and metabolic acidosis—a condition where your body produces too much acid. People with chronic kidney disease are more susceptible to metabolic acidosis. Fruits and vegetables can help the kidneys remove the excess acid and excrete it through urine. Bell peppers, cabbage, cauliflower and onions can be perfect to keep your kidneys healthy. Rich in antioxidants the power-packed berries can help flush out the uric acid from the kidneys, keeping them healthy. Apples are also rich in fibre and antioxidants that can improve the kidney function.

Consume parsley and dandelion leaves
One of the nature’s best diuretics, dandelion leaves help strengthen the kidneys and aid in the proper functioning of the urinary tract. Just brew dried dandelion leaves into a refreshing tea and drink it once a day. Parsley also helps flush the toxins from the kidneys. You can either add parsley leaves to your salad or brew parsley tea.

Drink healthy beverages
Drinking fresh juices can be an excellent way of including more fluids and keeping your kidneys healthy. Fluids help the digestive system to extract more water and flush out wastes from the body. However, if you suffer from a kidney disease, avoid juices made from vegetables like spinach and beets. These vegetables are rich in oxalic acid which promotes the formation of kidney stones. Instead, drink coconut water to rejuvenate your organs.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and refined foods
Limit your intake of coffee, alcohol and refined foods as they can be tough to process, thus putting a lot of strain on your kidneys. A high-protein diet can also do more harm than good. Eating too much protein can also strain the kidneys causing them to work harder even to the point of resulting in kidney malfunction. Here are things your nephrologist (kidney specialist) wants you to know.

Limit your intake of salt
Avoid store-bought soups and deli meals laden with salt. Your body expends a lot of energy in expelling the excess salt. When you consume too much salt, your kidneys have to work even harder to process it. Hence, it is a good idea to lower your intake of salt and restricting it to five-six grammes of salt per day, which accounts to one teaspoon, is beneficial. In general, it is good to limit the amount of processed and restaurant food and eat home cooked food with clean and fresh ingredients.

Image source: Getty Images

Published : May 24, 2016 2:58 pm | Updated:May 24, 2016 4:23 pm

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