The kidneys aren’t an organ most of us think of very often, especially not when it comes to diet. The heart is a much more likely target for dietary considerations. However, what you eat can have an affect.
Avocados: While the heart healthy monounsaturated fat of avocados might be healthy for your kidneys, the amount of potassium found in them is not. If your kidneys are healthy, enjoy. However, if you’ve been diagnosed with kidney disease, you need to steer clear.
Bananas: This fruit also has a high amount of potassium. For unhealthy kidneys, they are on the “avoid list.”
Beef: Unless you have gout, beef should be all right if your kidneys are sound and other health conditions don’t preclude it. However, if you have kidney disease, the protein count could be too high for your kidneys to tolerate. Once you’ve started dialysis, you may be allowed to eat it again. Ask your doctor or nutritionist if it would be acceptable.
Cherry Juice: For those with gout, which is essentially a kidney disease, cherry juice can work wonders. It can not only reduce the flare up you’re in, it may help prevent future flare ups. This is because it both helps reduce uric acid and reduces inflammation.
Corn Silk: This is a remedy for healthy kidneys only. Corn silk has often been used by herbalists to help deal with mild kidney disorders. It can’t be used if you have kidney disease.
Dairy: People with kidney disease have to reduce the amount of dairy products they consume. This includes milk, yogurt and cheese. Other dairy products may be ok in small amounts. Check with your doctor and/or nutritionist to see what they suggest.
Organ Meats: If you love your kidneys and hate gout, don’t eat organ meats of any type. Some are worse than others, but all of them are very high in purine. It is hard for the kidneys to filter out all of the waste products from this component of protein. This can cause gout, kidney stones and actual damage to the kidneys.
Potatoes: They are fine if you are healthy, but they are also very high in potassium. This is not good if you have kidney disease, so they have to be skipped. If you do plan to eat potatoes, it is best to leach them first. Soak the raw, unpeeled potato in water for at least two hours before preparing them.
Tomatoes: Like their cousin, the potato, these are high in potassium. Unfortunately, they aren’t all that easy to leach, so you may need to skip them altogether.
Whole grains: Whole grains are good for a large number of reasons, and your kidneys are one of the beneficiaries. It can help prevent gout flare ups, reduce cholesterol and replace calories lost because those with kidney disease can’t handle protein and many familiar vegetables.
Your kidneys are a wonderful filtration system. If you have questions, or if you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor about the best diet for your situation. That way, you can have a good quality of life.
