Kidney Disease Sufferers - One Food Ingredient You Must Avoid

If you are suffering from a kidney disease the number one ingredient you must avoid is fructose. As you know, fructose is a sugar, but it's different from other sugars in the way it's metabolized by the body. The metabolism of fructose generates uric acid. And for a sufferer of kidney disease, high uric acid is bad news as it can wreak havoc on your kidney function.

Fructose is the number one source of calories in the American diet, and diets of many other developed nations such as Britain and Australia. Today, about a quarter of all Americans consume over ½ pound sugar a day, which adds up to 180 pounds of sugar per year! Most of that sugar is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and table sugar. HFCS is now in almost all processed foods, and eating it generates a lot of uric acid.

What is Uric Acid?

Uric acid is a normal waste product found in your blood. High levels of uric acid are normally associated with gout, but it has been found that people with kidney disease, often have high uric acid levels as well. Research now indicates that uric acid plays a significant role in the development of kidney disease.

How does uric acid cause kidney disease? High levels of uric acid cause oxidative stress which contributes not only to kidney disease but to fatty liver, obesity and serious health problems.

Sugar Alternatives for People with Kidney Diseases

The only two natural sugar alternatives are Stevia, which is a herb and Xylitol, which is made from birch tree juice.

Avoid artificial sweeteners (usually in 'diet' foods) if you have kidney disease. They are very toxic and consequently the kidneys suffer.

Should people with kidney diseases eat fruit?

The short answer is yes, providing its fresh fruit in small amounts. Fruits contain fructose, however whole fruits also contain vitamins and other antioxidants that reduce the hazardous effects of fructose.

Canned fruit are dead foods. There is no nutrition in them.

Dried fruit are basically candy. They are pure fructose and will generate a lot of uric acid.

Processed fruit juices are really just water and sugar (fructose). All commercially sold fruit juices are pasteurized to extend shelf life. That is, they are heated to kill all the enzymes and antioxidants. So they are just as bad for you as soft drinks. People with kidney diseases should not be drinking fruit juices.

So watch out for fructose when doing your grocery shopping. You will be amazed how difficult it has become to find foods without it.

Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/13/richard-johnson-interview.aspx