Dietary restrictions vary depending on the stage of kidney disease.

For instance, people with early stages of chronic kidney disease will have different dietary restrictions than those with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure.

Those with end-stage renal disease who require dialysis will also have varying dietary restrictions. Dialysis is a type of treatment that removes extra water and filters waste.

The majority of those with late or end-stage kidney disease will need to follow a kidney-friendly diet to avoid a buildup of certain chemicals or nutrients in the blood.

In those with chronic kidney disease, the kidneys cannot adequately remove excess sodium, potassium, or phosphorus. As a result, they’re at a higher risk of elevated blood levels of these minerals.

A kidney-friendly diet, or renal diet, usually limits sodium to under 2,300 mg per day, as well as your potassium and phosphorus intake.

The National Kidney Foundation’s most recent Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) guidelines don’t set specific limits on potassium or phosphorus

Potassium and phosphorus are still a concern for people with kidney disease, but they should work closely with their doctor or dietitian to determine their limits for these nutrients, which are usually based on lab results.

Damaged kidneys may also have trouble filtering the waste products of protein metabolism. Therefore, individuals with chronic kidney disease of all stages especially stage 3–5, should limit the amount of protein in their diets unless they’re on dialysis

However, those with end-stage renal disease undergoing dialysis have an increased protein requirement

Here are 17 foods that you should likely avoid on a renal diet.

• Avocados
• Canned foods
• Whole wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Bananas
• Dairy
• Oranges and orange juice
• Pickles, olives, and relish
• Apricots
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Packaged, instant, and premade meals
• Swiss chard, spinach, and beet greens
• Dates, raisins, and prunes
• Pretzels, chips, and crackers

If you have kidney disease, reducing your potassium, phosphorus, and sodium intake can be an important aspect of managing the disease.

The high sodium, high potassium, and high phosphorus foods listed above are likely best limited or avoided.

1. You’re more tired, have less energy, or are having trouble concentrating. A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, and weak and can make it hard to concentrate. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
2. You’re having trouble sleeping. When the kidneys aren’t filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can make it difficult to sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population.
3. You have dry and itchy skin. Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, help keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
4. You feel the need to urinate more often. If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidney filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
5. You see blood in your urine. Healthy kidneys typically keep the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine, but when the kidney’s filters have been damaged, these blood cells can start to “leak” out into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine can be indicative of tumors, kidney stones, or an infection.
6. Your urine is foamy. Excessive bubbles in the urine – especially those that require you to flush several times before they go away—indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein that is found in eggs.
7. You’re experiencing persistent puffiness around your eyes. Protein in the urine is an early sign that the kidneys’ filters have been damaged, allowing the protein to leak into the urine. This puffiness around your eyes can be because your kidneys are leaking a large amount of protein in the urine, rather than keeping it in the body.
8. Your ankles and feet are swollen. Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities can also be a sign of heart disease, liver disease, and chronic leg vein problems.
9. You have a poor appetite. This is a very general symptom, but a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
10. Your muscles are cramping. Electrolyte imbalances can result from impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus may contribute to muscle cramping

If you have Some Signs of Kidney Disease then contact us. Our goal at California Kidney Specialists is to prevent Chronic Kidney Disease and slow its progression to avoid the initiation of dialysis.

Part of prevention and treatment is a specific CKD diet. We work with our patients and their families to create a comprehensive plan.

Call and make an appointment today to meet one of our Nephrologists

Our Services Office Locations: Kidney treatment in San Dimas, Kidney treatment in Covina, Kidney treatment in Upland, Kidney Treatment in Pasadena