Top 5 diet tips for people with chronic kidney disease

You should never go wrong with your eating habits, at least not when you have a chronic kidney disease (CKD). If you suffer from CKD, make sure you follow these diet tips.

Eating right is the key to fitness and surely, it helps in protecting our immune system. Eating right is extremely essential for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) . Many studies have proven that a balanced diet will help patients with CKD in a great way. According to a new study published in the latest edition of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there is almost zero awareness among patients with CKD when it comes to having an ideal diet.

"The high burden, cost and growth of CKD requires urgent action and medical nutrition therapy services must be part of any broad plan to reduce kidney failure incidence and improve public health," said the findings of the study, which has been authored by Dr Holly Kramer from Loyola University in Chicago.

CKD: 5 steps to eat right

1. Choose foods with less salt and sodium: According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, US, your diet should contain less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium every day. It's best to cook and have fresh foods. But whenever you are buying anything from outside, make sure you check the 'Nutritional Facts' label before buying anything. Look for labels that say words like sodium free or low salt, salt free, unsalted etc.
2. Protein intake should be controlled and proper: Protein is a tricky nutrient. While everybody needs some amount of protein, people with CKD need to be extremely careful. When your body uses protein, it produces waste. The more protein you consume, the harder your kidney has to work. So, simply have it in proper quantity.

   Even while you consume it, have it in foods from plants and animals. Eat a mix of dairy products, eggs, beans and nuts.

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3. Choose foods that are healthy for your heart: Say no to saturated fats. Consume healthy heart foods like beans, fruits, low-fat dairy, fish etc.
4. Be careful with phosphorous: Damaged kidneys don't have the ability to remove excess phosphorus. Therefore, a high amount of phosphorus could prove to be difficult for the functioning of kidneys in your body. Therefore, its best to restrict your dietary phosphorus to less than 800 mg per day.
5. Be mindful with your potassium intake: Potassium is very important for your body. However a decrease or increase in the limits of potassium could be dangerous for your body. This is because damaged kidneys let potassium build up in your blood which could cause heart troubles. Hence, opt for white rice, white bread and pasta, beans, peaches and carrots.

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