22/09/2026
DIET FOR HEALTHY KIDNEYS
The most important function of the kidneys, especially as it relates to nutrition, is that of waste management.
When the cells are done eating, they dump their waste in the blood, and the kidneys remove them.
So, the kidneys are constantly filtering the blood to remove all the poo-poo (waste materials) that the cells have produced after utilizing nutrients.
Without the function of the kidneys, the waste will accumulate in the blood, and begin to destroy the cells, and disrupt the normal functioning of the organs.
Imagine a large group of people living in a house and pooing everyday without flushing, and cleaning the house. Those people will eventually die from their own poo.
This is what happens in people with Advanced kidney disease.
The kidneys cannot remove the waste from the blood, so the chemicals build up in the blood and begin to destroy the body's tissues, which is why they need dialysis.
Dialysis attempts to achieve what the kidneys do. All the patient's blood is passed through a machine (a dialysis machine) which filters the blood and Removes most of the waste.
If you have any form of kidney disease, you may need to reduce your intake of certain nutrients (like Proteins, Potassium, Sodium, Phosphorous, and Calcium), to slow down the build up of waste in your blood, and give your kidneys less work.
This will also slow the progression of disease, and reduce your need for dialysis.
You should also reduce fluid intake to minimize body swellings usually associated with chronic kidney disease.
One major way to maintain kidney health and avoid disease is to eat heart healthy diets (DASH diet ), to avoid Hypertension, Obesity, and diabetes.
Hypertension, Obesity and diabetes are major causes of kidney disease. It is therefore important to eat foods that keep your heart healthy, your weight within limits, and your blood sugar within range.
If you can observe the above, you would've eliminated a significant portion of your risk for chronic kidney disease.
Nutrients most beneficial for kidney health (especially for people who do not have any kidney impairments), include:
=Water.
Your Kidneys love water. The more water, the more they can filter the blood, to efficiently remove waste.
One of the causes of acute Kidney failure is dehydration. Your Kidneys cannot tolerate certain low levels of water in your blood.
Also the risk of bacterial infections in the kidneys and urinary tracts, and the formation of kidney stones are higher when there's not enough water flowing through your kidneys. So, drink generously.
Drink at least 2-3litres or 8-12 glasses daily, but not all at one time. You can spread it through the day, say 500mls every couple of hours.
One way to check for dehydration is your urine color. If you're well hydrated, your urine should be clear-pale yellow.
A deeply colored urine may be a sign you're dehydrated, though many foods, drinks, flavorings, and medications, can also alter the color of your urine.
=Antioxidants.
Abundant in fruits and vegetables, antioxidants protect both the heart and kidneys from damage. They reduce inflammatory processes.
Examples are: Blue Berries, Strawberries 🍓, Apples 🍎, Cherries 🍒, Kidney beans 🫘, Cabbage, Green leafy vegetables.
**Fresh Fruits and vegetables are also good sources of water, and they are low in sodium (which is good for the heart).
They contain numerous vitamins and minerals which are vital for kidney function.
Avoid canned fruits and vegetables. They're high in sodium.
=Vitamin D is highly recommended for great kidneys, and can be sourced from fatty fish, or fish oils, especially Cod liver oil, egg yolks, mushrooms 🍄, cow milk 🥛, Cheese 🧀.
Adequate sunlight exposure is a great source too.
=DASH diet. Means- (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)
The major highlights of a DASH diet are:
-Fruits and Vegetables.
-Whole grains (moderately)
-Low Sodium (do more Potassium)
-Low Fat (especially saturated and Trans fats).
-Less Red meat (do more chicken and fish)
-Low Fat diary products.
** Patients with Kidney disease usually have anaemia (Low levels of Red blood cells). They must therefore eat foods that encourage blood cell production, e.g Iron, Folic acid ( meats 🍖, Liver, eggs, green vegetables, broccoli 🥦 )
By all means,
÷Avoid alcohol
÷Stop Smoking.
÷Avoid herbal concoctions
÷Avoid soda (carbonated drinks)
÷Avoid the incessant use of pain killers, especially those in the class called Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) like Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Indomethacin, etc.
Consult your doctor if you must take pain pills for a long time.
These have been associated with serious kidney injuries.
About 70% of all the people with Chronic kidney disease have a history of abuse of at least one of the above listed.
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