Top 15 Healthy Foods for People with Kidney Disease.
Researchers are discovering more and more links between chronic diseases, inflammation
and “super foods” that may prevent or protect against undesirable fatty acid oxidation,
a condition that occurs when the oxygen in your body reacts with fats in your blood and
your cells.
Oxidation is a normal process for energy production and many chemical reactions in the body, but
excessive oxidation of fats and cholesterol creates molecules known as free radicals that
can damage your proteins, cell membranes and genes.
Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other chronic and
degenerative conditions have been linked to oxidative damage.
However, foods that contain antioxidants can help neutralize free radicals and protect
the body.
Many of the foods that protect against oxidation are included in the kidney diet and make excellent
choices for dialysis patients or people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Eating healthy foods, working with a renal dietitian and following a renal diet made
up of kidney-friendly foods is important for people with kidney disease because they experience
more inflammation and have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.
1.
Red bell peppers Red bell peppers are low in potassium and
high in flavor, but that’s not the only reason they’re perfect for the kidney diet.
These tasty vegetables are also an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, as well
as vitamin B6, folic acid and fiber.
Red bell peppers are good for you because they contain lycopene, an antioxidant that
protects against certain cancers.
Eat red bell peppers raw with dip as a snack or appetizer, or mix them into tuna or chicken
salad.
You can also roast peppers and use them as a topping on sandwiches or lettuce salads,
chop them for an omelet, add them to kabobs on the grill or stuff peppers with ground
turkey or beef and bake them for a main dish.
2.
Cabbage A cruciferous vegetable, cabbage is packed
full of phytochemicals, chemical compounds in fruit or vegetables that break up free
radicals before they can do damage.
Many phytochemicals are also known to protect against and fight cancer, as well as foster
cardiovascular health.
High in vitamin K, vitamin C and fiber, cabbage is also a good source of vitamin B6 and folic
acid.
Low in potassium and low in cost, it’s an affordable addition to the kidney diet.
Raw cabbage makes a great addition to the dialysis diet as coleslaw or topping for fish
tacos.
You can steam, microwave or boil it, add butter or cream cheese plus pepper or caraway seeds
and serve it as a side dish.
Cabbage Rolls Made with Turkey are a great appetizer, and if you’re feeling fancy,
you can stuff a cabbage with ground meat and bake it for a flavorful meal bursting with
nutrients.
3.
Cauliflower Another cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower
is high in vitamin C and a good source of folate and fiber.
It’s also packed full of indoles, glucosinolates and thiocyanates—compounds that help the
liver neutralize toxic substances that could damage cell membranes and DNA.
Serve it raw as crudités with dip, add it to a salad, or steam or boil it and season
with spices such as turmeric, curry powder, pepper and herb seasonings.
You can also make a nondairy white sauce, pour it over the cauliflower and bake until
tender.
You can pair cauliflower with pasta or even mash cauliflower as a dialysis diet replacement
for mashed potatoes.
4.
Garlic Garlic helps prevent plaque from forming on
your teeth, lowers cholesterol and reduces inflammation.
Buy it fresh, bottled, minced or powdered, and add it to meat, vegetable or pasta dishes.
You can also roast a head of garlic and spread on bread.
Garlic provides a delicious flavor and garlic powder is a great substitute for garlic salt
in the dialysis diet.
5.
Onions Onion, a member of the Allium family and a
basic flavoring in many cooked dishes, contains sulfur compounds which give it its pungent
smell.
But in addition to making some people cry, onions are also rich in flavonoids, especially
quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that works to reduce heart disease and protects against
many cancers.
Onions are low in potassium and a good source of chromium, a mineral that helps with carbohydrate,
fat and protein metabolism.
Try using a variety of onions including white, brown, red and others.
Eat onions raw on burgers, sandwiches and in salads, cook them and use as a caramelized
topping or fry them into onion rings.
Include onions in recipes such as Italian Beef with Peppers and Onions.
6.
Apples Apples have been known to reduce cholesterol,
prevent constipation, protect against heart disease and reduce the risk of cancer.
High in fiber and anti-inflammatory compounds, an apple a day may really keep the doctor
away.
Good news for people with kidney disease who already have their share of doctor visits.
This kidney diet winner can be paired with the previous good-for-you food, onions, to
make a unique Apple Onion Omelet.
With versatile apples you can eat them raw, make baked apples, stew apples, make them
into apple sauce, or drink them as apple juice or apple cider.
7.
Cranberries These tangy, tasty berries are known to protect
against bladder infections by preventing bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.
In a similar way, cranberries also protect the stomach from ulcer-causing bacteria and
protect the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, promoting GI health.
Cranberries have also been shown to protect against cancer and heart disease.
Cranberry juice and cranberry sauce are the most frequently consumed cranberry products.
You can also add dried cranberries to salads or have them as a snack.
8.
Blueberries Blueberries are high in antioxidant phytonutrients
called anthocyanidins, which give them their blue color, and they are bursting with natural
compounds that reduce inflammation.
Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C; manganese, a compound that keeps your bones
healthy; and fiber.
They may also help protect the brain from some of the effects of aging.
Antioxidants in blueberries and other berries have been shown to help slow bone breakdown
in rats made to be low in estrogen.
Buy blueberries fresh, frozen or dried, and try them in cereal or , topped with whipped
topping, in a fruit smoothie.
You can also drink blueberry juice.
9.
Raspberries Raspberries contain a phytonutrient called
ellagic acid which helps neutralize free radicals in the body to prevent cell damage.
They also contain flavonoids called anthocyanins, antioxidants which give them their red color.
An excellent source of manganese, vitamin C, fiber and folate, a B vitamin, raspberries
may have properties that inhibit cancer cell growth and tumor formation.
Add raspberries to cereal, or puree and sweeten them to make a dessert sauce or add them to
vinaigrette dressing.
10.
Strawberries Strawberries are rich in two types of phenols:
anthocyanins and ellagitannins.
Anthocyananins are what give strawberries their red color and are powerful antioxidants
that help protect body cell structures and prevent oxidative damage.
Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese and a very good source of
fiber.
They are known to provide heart protection, as well as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory
components.
Eat strawberries with cereal, smoothies and salad,or slice and serve them fresh or top
them with whipped topping.
If you’d like a more elaborate dessert, you can make strawberry pudding or sorbet,
or puree and sweeten them to serve as a dessert.
11.
Cherries Cherries have been shown to reduce inflammation
when eaten daily.
They are also packed with antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect the heart.
Eat fresh cherries as a snack or make a cherry sauce to serve with lamb or pork.
Cherry juice is another way to consume this tasty food.
12.
Red grapes Red grapes contain several flavonoids that
give them their reddish color.
Flavonoids help protect against heart disease by preventing oxidation and reducing the formation
of blood clots.
Resveratrol, a flavonoid found in grapes, may also stimulate production of nitric oxide
which helps relax muscle cells in the blood vessels to increase blood flow.
These flavonoids also provide protection against cancer and prevent inflammation.
Buy grapes with red or purple skin since their anthocyanin content is higher.
Freeze them to eat as a snack or to quench thirst for those on a fluid restriction for
the dialysis diet.
Add grapes to a fruit salad or chicken salad.
Try a unique kidney diet recipe for Turkey Kabobs that feature grapes.
You can also drink them as grape juice.
13.
Egg whites Egg whites are pure protein and provide the
highest quality of protein with all the essential amino acids.
For the kidney diet, egg whites provide protein with less phosphorus than other protein sources
such as egg yolk or meats.
Buy powdered, fresh or pasteurized egg whites.
Make an omelet or egg white sandwich, add pasteurized egg whites to smoothies or shakes,
make deviled egg snacks,or add whites of hard-boiled eggs to tuna salad or garden salad to add
extra protein.
14.
Fish Fish provides high-quality protein and contains
anti-inflammatory fats called omega-3s.
The healthy fats in fish can help fight diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
Omega-3s also help lower low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol,
and raise high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol, which is good cholesterol.
The American Heart Association1 and American Diabetes Association2 recommend eating fish
at least two times a week.
Fish highest in omega-3s include albacore tuna, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout and
salmon.
15.
Olive oils Olive oil is a great source of oleic acid,
an anti-inflammatory fatty acid.
The monounsaturated fat in olive oil protects against oxidation.
Olive oil is rich in polyphenols and antioxidant compounds that prevent inflammation and oxidation.
Studies show that populations that use large amounts of olive oil instead of other oils
have lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
Buy virgin or extra virgin olive oil because they are higher in antioxidants.
Use olive oil to make salad dressing, in cooking, for dipping bread or for marinating vegetables.