What foods to avoid in renal failure?
In the case of chronic renal insufficiency, certain foods are not necessarily prohibited, but those affected would do well not to consume some nutrients in excessive quantities.
For example, restraint is advisable when it comes to phosphate: foods rich in phosphate include nuts, muesli, offal and wholemeal bread. Many dairy products such as milk, yogurt and buttermilk also contain a lot of phosphate. Cheeses such as quark, cream cheese, Camembert, Brie cheese, mozzarella, Harzer Roller and Limburger are more favorable.
If possible, avoid foods with added phosphates due to production, such as processed cheese, cooked cheese, canned milk and some types of sausage. You can identify phosphate additives on the ingredients list of foods by the E numbers E 338 to E 341, E 450 a to c, E 540, E 543 and E 544.
It is also advisable to avoid large quantities of foods containing potassium. These include fruit and vegetable juices, dried fruit and nuts, bananas, apricots, avocado, legumes, various vegetables, sprouts and germs, mushrooms and dried potato products such as potato chips, potato dumplings or mashed potatoes.
In acute renal insufficiency, it is usually not necessary to reduce phosphate and potassium intake.
What should the diet be like in renal insufficiency?
Depending on whether the kidney failure is acute or chronic, those affected should take different things into account when it comes to diet.
Nutrition in acute renal failure: What should be considered?
Acute renal insufficiency may lead to increased protein breakdown as well as fat metabolism disorders. Therefore, pay attention to your calorie intake. Guidelines recommend 20 to 25 kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day for those not on dialysis, with a protein intake of 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Drink approximately as much as you excreted urine the previous day. If urine output is too low, sufferers should eat a diet low in potassium, sodium and protein. If, on the other hand, urine excretion is too high, a diet rich in potassium and sodium is recommended. This compensates for the loss of mineral salts. Fluid loss can be remedied by drinking enough fluids.
Nutrition in chronic renal insufficiency: What to look out for?
Controlled protein intake only applies to sufferers who do not yet require dialysis.
High-quality proteins
Among other things, people with chronic kidney failure should ensure that the proteins they consume have a high biological value. In other words, they should preferably consist of protein building blocks that the body does not produce itself (essential amino acids). Ideal protein mixtures include potato and egg, beans and egg, milk and wheat, egg and wheat, and legumes and wheat.
Diet with little phosphate
Chronic kidney weakness has a negative effect on bone metabolism, among other things – the stability of the bones decreases. To avoid exacerbating this effect, experts recommend a low-phosphate kidney diet, because too much phosphate also makes bones more brittle. The recommended amount of phosphate is 0.8 to one gram per day.
There is a close relationship between phosphate and protein content – foods rich in protein usually also contain a lot of phosphate.
Little potassium and sodium
Since a well-controlled blood pressure has a positive effect on the course of the disease, a low-salt diet makes sense. This is because antihypertensive drugs work better with a low intake of table salt. Experts recommend a salt intake of five to six grams per day. Table salt is mainly found in processed foods, especially bread, meat dishes, sausage and cheese.
Drinking amount
Provided that water excretion via the diseased kidney is not yet restricted, it is not usually necessary to reduce fluid intake. However, even if many sufferers assume the opposite, drinking a lot does not improve kidney function. In some cases, too much fluid intake actually accelerates the progression of chronic renal failure. Discuss with your doctor or dietitian how much fluid you can consume daily.
Chronic renal failure: nutrition during dialysis
Unlike non-dialysis renal failure, a low-protein diet is not recommended during dialysis treatment. This is because the treatment causes a loss of protein and protein building blocks, which patients ideally compensate for by increasing their protein intake. It is recommended that patients consume around 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day.
It is therefore recommended that people with renal failure who require dialysis monitor their weight daily. If the weight gain exceeds the level recommended by your doctor, consult your doctor immediately.
How much people on dialysis should drink each day is based on how much urine is passed in a 24-hour period. As much fluid as you excrete, you should also return to the body – plus about half a liter extra per day. However, keep in mind that you also cover part of your fluid requirements through food. Not only soups, but almost all foods contain water (for example, fruit, vegetables, yogurt, pudding, fish, meat).
Tips for limited fluid intake
It takes a lot of discipline to stick to fluid restriction. Helpful tips for quenching thirst include:
- Chewing gum without sugar
- Sucking ice cubes
- Suck pieces of lemon
- Avoid salty and very sweet foods
- Rinse mouth
