What Foods Are Good For Kidneys?

Kidneys play a significant role in the overall health of the body. They filter out waste products from blood and send them out of the body as waste through urine. The kidneys also balance fluid and electrolyte levels in the body while making hormones that regulate the function of other organs of your body. But to keep your kidneys healthy, you need to watch what you eat and drink because some foods boost the performance of the kidneys while others stress, degrade and damage them.

What foods support healthy kidneys?

Kidney-friendly foods are those that enhance kidney function and protect them from damage. Generally, a good balance of quality protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals are great for the kidneys. Very high dietary levels of some mineral ions such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus and calcium may in the long run endanger your kidneys. Foods linked to heart problems and high blood pressure may put additional pressure on the kidneys.

For healthy kidneys, consider the following:

1. Stay Hydrated

Water helps to flush out toxins from the body. In fact, the body relies on water to assist transporting toxic wastes into the bloodstream, then to the kidneys where they are filtered and removed through urine. This process helps reduce the risk of bacterial infection, kidney stones, and kidney disease, which is why water is crucial for the critical salt-fluid balance in the body.

Ideally, you should drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, but of course you can drink more if you are active during the day. In addition to the many other benefits of staying hydrated, drinking water when thirsty helps to support your kidneys.

2. Apples and mushrooms

Apples are rich in fiber. One of the fibers, called pectin, helps to reduce various risk factors for kidney disease, such as high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Apples also have anti-inflammatory constituents, prevent constipation, protect against heart disease, and lower the risk of cancer. You might also consider eating mushrooms for their high levels of vitamin D, which boosts kidney function.

3. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes have a robust fiber profile. They break down very slowly in the body which helps to support low insulin levels. Sweet potatoes also have a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium which helps to balance sodium levels in the body and reduce the effect of sodium on the kidneys. However, since they contain high levels of potassium, sweet potatoes are not ideal for those with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

4. Berries

Dark berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are a great source of nutrients and antioxidants and for most people protective for the kidneys.

5. Dark leafy vegetables

Leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach and chard contain a wide variety of vitamins, fibers, and minerals that support kidney function. While they do supply a number of protective compounds, dark leafy vegetables are highly rich in potassium and therefore less suitable for those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), restricted diet, or patients on dialysis.

6. Kale and cauliflowers

Kale is a terrific source of vitamins A and C which reduce inflammation, boost the immune system and protect the kidneys. Kale is also lower in potassium compared to other greens, and contains lots of iron. Like kale, cauliflower is rich in vitamin C and also has plenty of fiber and folate that are crucial for kidney function. Likewise, cauliflower contains compounds that improve the liver’s ability to neutralize toxic substances and reduce the stress on the kidneys.

7. Fatty fish and egg whites

Tuna, salmon and other cold-water, fatty fish have high omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids in these fish are heart protective and also healthy for the kidneys. Since high blood pressure is a risk factor for kidney disease, fatty fish is a great way to improve your cholesterol profile and protect your kidneys.

Foods to avoid include:

1. High salt

Elevated salt levels raise blood pressure making the heart and kidneys work extremely hard. You can control your salt intake by cooking at home and avoiding most fast foods which are sky high in sodium.

You can also try substituting new spices and herbs in place of salt and by avoiding packaged and pre-cooked foods, such as soups, frozen dinners, and boxed meals that usually have extra salt. Similarly, you should avoid table salt and high-sodium seasonings like soy sauce, garlic salt and sea salt.

2. Foods rich in potassium

While potassium helps your nerves and muscles to work properly, too much of it can lead to serious heart problems and eventually to kidney issues. Potassium is found in most fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, oranges, avocadoes, raw carrots, cooked broccoli, potatoes, greens, tomatoes, and melons.

Instead of these high potassium foods, try alternatives such as apples, cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Other good options are pineapples, peaches, plums, asparagus, cabbage, cucumber, and beans (green and white).

3. Limit phosphorus and calcium

Phosphorus and calcium are great minerals for keeping your bones healthy and strong. But high levels of phosphorus may increase the risk of long-term kidney disease. Since most foods that contain phosphorus are also equally rich in calcium, the body’s levels of the two minerals can be controlled by similar mechanisms.

If your doctor suggests limiting phosphorus, avoid foods such as red meat, dairy products, nuts, fish, most grains, and legumes. Consider replacing these foods with healthy foods that are lower in phosphorus, such as fresh fruits and veggies, rice, corn and fish.

At St Pete Urology, we encourage our patients to take care of their kidneys through healthy behaviors—exercise, drinking plenty of water and eating a balanced diet. We also perform surgeries and treat urination problems such as incontinence, tumors, cysts, growth and stones of the urinary system, as well as problems of the male reproductive system. For more information on kidney disorders and their treatment, visit the St Pete Urology website.

How To Pass Kidney Stones?

Passing a kidney stone is an agonizing and traumatic experience. It’s something you wouldn’t wish for anyone, even your worst enemy. And you will want to do anything to avoid going through the ordeal again. Sadly, kidney stones are bound to recur in about 50 percent of people who have had them, often within 10-15 years if preventive measures are not taken. They occur more frequently in men than women and may lead to serious complications if not dealt with promptly, effectively and appropriately.

Triggers of kidney stones?

Kidney stones typically develop when the concentration of certain substances such as oxalate, uric acid and calcium are high enough in urine to form crystals. Once crystals are formed in the kidneys, they grow larger and solidify into “stones.” Most kidney stones (about 80-85 percent) are made of calcium while the others are uric acid stones occurring in people whose urine PH level is low.

Symptoms of kidney stones

Once they are formed, kidney stones can dislodge and move down the ureter, obstructing urine flow. As a stone moves through the ureter, it causes periods of severe, excruciating pain, including pain in the flank — pain occurring on one side of your body between the back and the stomach. In some cases, there may be nausea, vomiting and blood in urine. When the stones move beyond the ureter and toward the bladder, they are usually accompanied by bladder pressure, groin pain and frequent urination. If you have any of these symptoms, check with your primary care physician for help. The doctor most likely will do a urinalysis and an abdominal X-ray, renal ultrasound or CT scan to ascertain whether you have kidney stones and determine their number and size.

Allowing kidney stones to pass

It usually takes many weeks to a few months for kidney stones to pass spontaneously. The length of time to pass a stone depends on its size and location. As you wait for the stone to pass, you can use over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), naproxen (Aleve) or ibuprofen (Motrin IB or Advil) to reduce the discomfort. Your doctor may prescribe an alpha blocker to help relax your ureter muscles and ensure the stone passes faster and with minimal pain.

For kidney stones that are too big to pass or are accompanied by very severe pain, surgical removal may be necessary. Your doctor may undertake a procedure called ureteroscopy, where a tiny endoscope (a device fitted with a small video camera and various tools fixed at the end of a long tube) is inserted into the bladder, then up the ureter to reach the stone. This is done while you’re under general anesthesia. Once the stone is reached, it’s broken down into smaller fragments and removed.

How can you prevent kidney stones?

Kidney stones are common and often recur in people who have had them. That’s why you should take the necessary steps to prevent them from forming. Some of the strategies to prevent kidney stones include:

1. Drink enough water: If you can produce 2 to 2.5 liters of urine every day, then you’re 50 percent less likely to have kidney stones than a person who produces less urine. To help you maintain such a level of urine production every day, you should drink about 8-10, eight-ounce glasses (roughly 2 liters total) of water every day.

2. Avoid high-oxalate foods: It is okay to eat foods with moderate to low quantities of oxalate, such as berries and chocolate. But you should avoid high-oxalate foods like almonds, beets and spinach, which will raise oxalate levels in your body.

3. Keep sodium in check: A diet with a lot of sodium can cause kidney stones because it increases the quantity of calcium that’s present in urine. Limit your total daily sodium intake to below 2,300 milligrams (mg). If you have had a previous incident of kidney stones due to the amount of sodium in your diet, then you need to reduce your daily sodium intake to about 1,500mg.

4. Take some lemons: Lemons provide citrate, a citric acid salt, which binds to calcium and prevents kidney stone formation. If you drink a cup of lemon juice concentrate that’s diluted in water each day, or just pure juice from two lemons, you will boost your urine citrate and reduce your risk of kidney stone.

5. Reduce your consumption of animal protein: If you’re prone to kidney stones, you should reduce your intake of animal proteins. Eating too much of eggs, meat and seafood, among other animal proteins, increases uric acid levels in the body and promotes the formation of stones. While you don’t have to avoid proteins altogether, you can opt for plant-based proteins instead.

Kidney stones are a painful and distressing condition that’s better prevented than treated. That’s why at St Pete Urology, we not only provide a variety of safe and effective kidney remedies, but also offer information to our patients so they can take action to prevent the stones from occurring. For those with stones, we offer extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy with either holmium or EHL Laser, ureteral stent and percutaneous nephrolithotomy, among other remedies. Don’t suffer in silence. If you suspect you have kidney stones, contact us so we can help you. For more information on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney stones, visit the “St Pete Urology” site.

Foods That Can Cause Kidney Stones

You have a role in preventing kidney stones. By being cautious with what you eat and drink you can manage to stay free of the stones. One of the easiest ways to prevent kidney stones is to drink plenty of liquid, mainly water. In fact, unless you have trouble with your kidneys, drinking six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day is a proven way to prevent stones. Talk with your doctor about the quantity of liquid you should drink and begin right away. Another way to prevent kidney stones is to lose weight since being overweight increases the risk of the stones. Have your meals planned by a dietician and take the necessary steps to lose excess weight.

What if you have already had kidney stones?

You will need to talk to your doctor to find out which type of kidney stones you had. Depending on the type of stone, you’ll need to change your diet to prevent the recurrence of similar stones in the future. The most common types of kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones, calcium phosphate stones, uric acid stones and cystine stones. You can prevent them by making certain changes in how much calcium, oxalate, sodium and animal protein are in the foods you eat. Working with a dietician who is an expert in kidney stone management and prevention can help you greatly.

1. Dietary steps to prevent calcium oxalate stones

If you’ve had calcium oxalate stones, then you’ll need to reduce the amount of sodium, oxalate and animal protein in your diet while keeping your calcium consumption optimum. Speak with your doctor and also with a dietician about the food sources to avoid and how much of oxalate, sodium, calcium and animal protein you should take.

To reduce the amount of oxalate in your urine, avoid the following foods:

  • a. Spinach
  • b. Wheat bran
  • c. Nuts and nut products
  • d. Peanuts — which are legumes, but are rich in oxalate.
  • e. Rhubarb

To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet:

  • a. Reduce your salt intake
  • b. Avoid packaged, canned and fast foods, which often contain sodium
  • c. Avoid food condiments, seasonings and meats, which are often rich in sodium

To limit the amount of animal protein you eat, reduce the following in your diet:

  • a. Eggs
  • b. Chicken, beef, pork, particularly organ meats
  • c. Milk, cheese, and the other dairy products
  • d. Shellfish and fish

Remember, you’ll still need to get enough protein even as you limit the amount of animal protein. Just replace the meat and animal protein with other protein sources such as dried peas, lentils, white beans, which are plant-based and low in oxalate. Your doctor and dietician can guide you on the total protein you should eat and what portion of the protein should come from animal or plant-based sources.

Optimal calcium

To prevent calcium oxalate stones, you need to have enough calcium in your diet. While you may assume that increased calcium would increase your risk of kidney stones, that’s not true. Actually, in the right quantities, calcium combines with other substances in your digestive tract and prevents stone formation. You should check with your doctor about how much calcium you need to prevent a recurrence of calcium oxalate stones and to develop strong bones. Also find out from your dietician the best food sources of calcium for you. It’s often recommended that calcium be obtained from low-oxalate, plant-based sources like cereals, calcium-fortified juices, breads, some types of beans and some types of vegetables.

2. Dietary steps to prevent calcium phosphate stones

Just like calcium oxalate stones, the prevention of calcium phosphate stones requires that you reduce the amount of sodium and animal protein in your diet while ensuring that you get enough calcium. Talk to your doctor about the dietary changes you should make. A dietician who is expert in kidney stones can help you with exactly how much sodium, calcium and animal protein to include in your diet.

To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet:

  • a. Reduce your salt intake
  • b. Avoid packaged, canned and fast foods, which often contain sodium
  • c. Avoid food condiments, seasonings and meats, which are often rich in sodium

To limit the amount of animal protein you eat, reduce the following in your diet:

  • a. Eggs
  • b. Chicken, beef, pork, particularly organ meats
  • c. Milk, cheese, and the other dairy products
  • c. Shellfish and fish

Consider replacing the above sources of animal protein with plant-based ones such as:

  • a. Soy foods, like tofu, soy nut butter and soy milk
  • b. Legumes, such as dried peas, lentils, beans and peanuts
  • c. Sunflower seeds
  • d. Nuts and nut products, like cashews, cashew butter, almond butter, almonds, pistachios and walnuts.

Talk to your doctor and dietician about the total quantity of protein to eat and how much should be from animal foods or plant-based sources.

Optimal calcium

To prevent calcium phosphate stones, you’ll also need enough calcium in your diet. While it may seem that having calcium in your diet may cause calcium stones, taking the right amount of calcium helps eliminate various substances responsible for stone formation from your digestive tract. So talk to your doctor to find out how much calcium would help you maintain strong bones and prevent calcium phosphate stones. Also ask your doctor or dietician about the appropriate food sources for calcium. Getting calcium from plant-based sources such as cereals, breads, calcium-fortified juices, some types of beans and some types of vegetables will help you prevent the stone formation.

3. Dietary steps to prevent uric acid stones

For uric acid stones, increased intake of animal protein will increase your risk of developing the stones. The animal proteins to limit in your diet include:

  • a. Eggs
  • b. Chicken, beef, pork, especially organ meats
  • c. Shellfish and fish
  • d. Cheese, milk, and the other dairy products

In order to ensure that you get enough protein every day, replace the animal proteins with plant-based ones such as:

  • a. Legumes like beans, lentils, dried peas and peanuts
  • b. Soy foods like tofu, soy nut butter, soy milk
  • c. Sunflower seeds
  • d. Nuts and nut products like cashews, cashew butter, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, and almond butter

Speak with your doctor about how much total protein you should include in your diet every day and how much of that should come from plant-based or animal-based sources.

For uric acid stones, being overweight is also a major risk factor. So consider losing weight to prevent a recurrence of the stones.

4. Dietary steps to prevent cystine stones

The most important lifestyle change you’ll need to make to prevent cystine stones is drinking plenty of liquids, mainly water. Speak with your doctor about how much water you should drink, especially if you’ve had kidney failure.

Tips for limiting the amount of sodium in your diet

Most Americans take in too much sodium which increases their risk of kidney stones. An adult should consume not more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day — remember that one teaspoonful of table salt contains 2,325 mg of sodium. To prevent a recurrence of calcium phosphate or calcium oxalate stones, use the following guideline to limit the amount of sodium you consume:

  • a. Check the Percentage Daily Value (%DV) of sodium on the label of the food products you buy. A %DV of 20 percent or more is high while a %DV of 5 percent or less is low.
  • b. Write down the quantity of sodium you consume every day.
  • c. Always try to find out the sodium content of the food you eat.
  • d. Cook your meals from scratch — avoid canned vegetables and soups, fast and processed foods and lunch meats as they often contain a lot of sodium.
  • e. Buy foods labeled: salt free, sodium free, low sodium, very low sodium, light in sodium, less or reduced sodium, unsalted, no salt added, or lightly salted.
  • f. Check food labels for hidden sodium and sodium-rich ingredients such as sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sodium alginate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), disodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, and baking soda (contains sodium bicarbonate and other chemicals).

Looking for more information on prevention and treatment of kidney stones? At St Pete Urology, we treat ureteral and kidney stones as safely, painlessly and effectively as possible. We also equip our patients with the information they need to prevent the recurrence of the stones. Talk with us about your symptoms, fears or concerns and we can help find the best plan for you. For more information, visit the “St Pete Urology” site.