Kidney health is a fundamental piece in the puzzle that defines good quality of life. The reason? The kidneys They play a key role in the body’s internal purification and balancing processes.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the United States, the kidneys filter half a cup of blood every minute and contain about one million nephrons – the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney, responsible for blood purification. Thanks to its exhaustive work, the nutrients that the body needs return to the blood and waste and excess fluid are separated to be eliminated.
“When the kidneys cannot work properly, this can lead to complications such as cardiovascular disease, increased blood pressure, anemia and bone disorders, among others”nutrition graduate María Clara Delucchi, from the Nephrology Division of the Department of Medicine, Food and Dietetics of the Hospital de Clínicas of the UBA, informed LN Bienestar.
The study titled “Dietary protein as kidney protection: quality or quantity?” shows that the type of diet is the most important risk factor for death and disability related to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), so dietary care is essential in its treatment and prevention.
“Kidney health is key to being healthy. It happens very often that certain people have kidney disease and don’t know it”revealed Gabriel Lapman, nephrologist and author of More Sneakers, Less Pills.
Furthermore, he commented that conditions such as diabetes Type 2, high blood pressure and obesity directly affect the kidneys and are usually linked to diet. “It is born from other pathologies, chronic kidney disease in very few cases appears as if nothing had happened,” he adds.
3 types of foods consumed daily that affect the kidneys
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1. Foods with excess salt/sodium
“Those foods that provide high amounts of sodium –an essential mineral present in salt– should be restricted in a patient with kidney disease, since it has implications for blood pressure,” explained Delucchi.
The National Kidney Foundation exemplifies that Frozen foods should also be avoided in these patients since, on average, they usually contain more than 1000 milligrams of sodium per serving. “Those who have kidney disease or high blood pressure should limit sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day,” the institution states.
2. Papa
Potato is a significant source of potassium. Although in people with healthy kidneys this mineral is excreted efficiently, In patients with CKD, the kidneys do not eliminate potassium well, which can lead to hyperkalemia. (high levels of potassium in the blood) and affect heart rate and neuromuscular function.
The aforementioned was manifested in the study “Associations between dietary potassium intake from different food sources and hyperkalemia in patients with chronic kidney disease” where Potassium from potatoes was associated with higher serum potassium levels and hyperkalemiacompared to other vegetables.
3. Foods full of sugar
Multiple studies have investigated the relationship between the consumption of sugary drinks or those high in added sugar and the risk of developing chronic kidney disease. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nephrologyfor example, combined data from multiple observational investigations and found a trend towards a higher risk of CKD in people with high intake of sugary and sweetened beveragesespecially if consumed more than 7 per week.
Greater scientific evidence shows that excessive consumption of industrial sugars It has direct effects on obesity, insulin resistance and increased uric acid, factors that are risks for the progression of kidney damage.
