Salmon sashimi is a dish loved by many people thanks to its fresh, delicious taste, rich protein and providing some beneficial unsaturated fats.
However, for people with kidney disease, eating sashimi needs to be considered more carefully.
Depending on the degree of kidney function decline, each person's diet may be different. Therefore, salmon should not be assumed to be a food that must be completely avoided.
The first thing kidney patients need to pay attention to is the amount of protein in their diet. Salmon is rich in protein, while some people with chronic kidney disease without hemodialysis may be recommended to control protein intake to reduce the metabolic burden on the kidneys.
Conversely, people undergoing hemodialysis often have different protein needs. Therefore, eating sashimi should be within the total protein recommended by doctors or nutritionists, instead of just evaluating based on whether salmon is a "good" or "bad" food.
Besides protein, phosphorus and potassium are also substances of concern for some people with kidney disease. When kidney function declines, the ability to balance these minerals may be affected.
Salmon contains both phosphorus and potassium, so people who are asked to limit these two substances need to pay attention to their diet and frequency of use. In particular, you should not arbitrarily increase the amount of salmon just because you want to supplement omega-3.
Another important issue is food safety. Sashimi using live fish is at higher risk of bacterial or parasitic contamination than cooked fish.
People with chronic diseases or weak health need to be especially careful with raw foods. If you want to eat salmon, choosing well-cooked fish is usually a safer option.
In addition, soy sauce, dipping sauce and side dishes may contain quite a lot of sodium. People with kidney disease, especially those with high blood pressure or edema, often need to control salt intake in their diet. Therefore, salty dipping sauces should be limited and sashimi and too many processed foods should be avoided.
People with kidney disease do not necessarily have to eliminate salmon sashimi in all cases, but it is necessary to base on the stage of the disease, kidney function, test results and personalized diet.
When it is not clear whether you need to limit protein, potassium or phosphorus, kidney patients should ask their doctor or nutritionist before including this dish in their diet.
