Top 5 Foods To Avoid For Healthy Kidneys

Nutrition

oi-Anwesha

By Anwesha Barari

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 12:30

Prevention is always better than cure and thus it is better to keep your kidneys in a healthy functioning condition instead of treating it latter. However, if you or your lifestyle has caused damage to your kidneys then you need to wake up and take stock of the situation one way of doing this is avoiding foods bad for the kidneys. There are some foods that should not be a part of kidney disease diet for various reasons.

Here is a list of 'must avoid' foods if you have a kidney disease. These are the top 5 nutrient groups of foods that must be avoided for the kidneys.

Top 5 Foods To Avoid For Kidneys:

1. Animal Protein: As soon as an individual is diagnosed with a kidney condition the first thing they are told is to cut down on their animal protein intake. Meat and even fish to some extent contains phosphorus and purines. Phosphorus is bad for the kidneys, especially already damaged kidneys and purines increase the uric acid content in the blood. It will give you painful joints (gout) and eventually lead to renal failure. Have pulses, legumes and other vegetable proteins instead of meat.

2. Foods High In Oxalic Acid: Just like anti oxidants are good for your kidneys, oxalic acid foods or oxalates are not. Tea, coffee, grapes, oranges, green leafy vegetables are food that must be avoided for kidney diseases. These foods facilitate the formation of kidney stones and thus are bad for your situation.

3. High Sodium Foods: It is very well known that a kidney disease diet must have less of salt. High blood pressure and kidney malfunction has a mutual relationship. One is the side effect of the other. So you have to have less salt in your food, no extra salt added while eating and steer clear from canned or preserved foods totally. No frozen vegetables or preserved pickles for you. This is because all preserved or canned foods have a very high concentration of sodium.

4. High Potassium Foods: Your potassium intake becomes a problem only after your kidneys are damaged to a great extent. You need to reduce the number of helping you take even from fresh fruits and vegetables as they are rich in potassium. Too much consumption of these foods to avoid for kidneys leads to water retention in the body.

5. High Phosphorus Foods: If you are a lover of chocolates then there is bad news for you. All cocoa products including chocolates, milk and milk products, nuts, dry fruits are all a taboo for you. Too much phosphorus concentration in the kidneys hinders the absorption process of calcium. So, if you keep a check on these foods then the much needed calcium will remain in your body.

Follow these good health tips if you have a kidney condition by avoiding these foods for the kidney functioning.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.