Diet and Nutrition for Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is a serious condition that should be diagnosed by a physician, who can treat the underlying causes, ofter high blood pressure or diabetes. The diet recommendations of a person with kidney disease vary, so a doctor or dietician should be consulted for advice on nutrition.

Some general guidelines for diet for kidney patients, found on the National Institute of Health (NIH) website, follow the guidelines for diabetes and for high blood pressure patients.

Healthy guidelines for the diabetes patient include eating about the same amount of food daily, eating meals and snacks and regular times, do not skip meals or snacks, taking medications at the same time daily and getting physical activity daily.

High blood pressure can damage the arteries, heart, brain and kidneys. You can help to control blood pressure with healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy nutrition and regular physical activity.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB) supported research that compared the typical American diet to a nutrition plan that was lower in saturated fat, cholesterol and total fat, The diet emphasized fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy food. The research found that people who followed the low fat diet, called the DASH eating plan, were able to reduce their blood pressure.

The DASH eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products. The plan also includes fish, poultry nuts and whole grain products. One important aspect of the DASH eating plan is that it is low in sodium. The DASH plan contains reduced amounts of meats, sweets and beverages that contain sugar.

The DASH eating plan consists of a daily diet that includes:

Grains & grain products - 7-8 servings: A serving is 1 slice of bread, one cup of cereal, ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.

Vegetables (4-5 servings): A serving consists of one cup of raw vegetables, ½ cup cooked vegetables or six ounces of vegetable juice.

Fruits (4-5 servings): A serving consists of one medium fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit, ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruit or 6 ounces of fruit juice.

Low fat or fat free daily foods (2-3 servings): A serving consists of 8 ounces of milk, one cup of yogurt or 1-1/2 ounces of cheese.

Lean meats, poultry and fish (2 or less): A serving consists of 3 ounces of cooked lean meats, skinless poultry or fish. The serving size of meats is small, about the size of a deck of cards.

Nuts, seeds and dry beans (4-5 per week): A serving consists of 1/3 cup or 1/1/2 ounces of nuts, one tablespoon or ½ ounce seeds or ½ cup of cooked dry beans.

Fats and oils (2-3 servings): A serving consists of one teaspoon of margarine, one tablespoon of low fat mayonnaise, two tablespoons of light salad dressing or one teaspoon vegetable oil.

Sweets (5 per week): A serving consists of one tablespoon sugar, one tablespoon jelly or jam, ½ ounce jelly beans or 8 ounces of lemonade.

Low Sodium - The recommendation is to cut salt intake down to 1,500 mg, which is lower than most Americans are used to. It may be necessary to cut down gradually to allow taste buds to adjust. In place of sale, experiment with a variety of spices and flavorings to give food a new zest.

As stated earlier, the diet recommendations are different depending on individual diagnoses. Information in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical condition, please consult a physician.

Resources:
National Institute of Health NIH
Mayo Clinic website

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Dash Diet for Heart Health: Prevent High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease

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