People with kidney disease such as weak kidneys need to follow a diet low in sodium, protein, potassium and phosphorus. This means you need to limit or stay away from certain familiar foods.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in nutrients, including potassium. A glass of tomato sauce about 245g contains up to 728mg of potassium, which is not suitable for people with weak kidneys.
Because the higher the potassium concentration in the blood, the more kidney disease becomes more severe, leading to many other complications. Therefore, people with weak kidneys need to limit tomatoes, tomato sauce and foods and dishes made from this ingredient.
Brown rice
Brown rice is very suitable for those who want to lose weight and eat according to their diet. However, for people with kidney problems, brown rice is a dish to avoid because it contains high levels of phosphorus and potassium. Bulgur wheat, white rice, buckwheat are all alternatives to brown rice.
A cup of 155g of cooked brown rice contains 149mg of phosphorus and 94.6mg of potassium. But a cup of 186g of cooked white rice contains only 68.8mg of phosphorus and 53.9mg of potassium.
Red meat
Some red meats such as beef, pork, animal organs such as intestines and liver contain a lot of uric acid, which can increase cholesterol in the body. When consuming too much of this food, people with weak kidneys are at risk of kidney stones, gout, and cardiovascular disease.
Eating a lot of red meat also causes excess protein to be released into the blood after decomposition. This increases the accumulation and damage to the kidneys, especially in people with weak kidneys. Therefore, people with kidney disease need to limit the consumption of red meat and animal organs in their daily diet.
Yogurt and chili sauce
Yogurt and chili sauce are both processed or soaked foods. During this process, we often add salt to prepared foods, leading to a sharp increase in sodium (salt), potassium and fermentation. This will put pressure on the kidneys, making the disease worse.
The World Health Organization also recommends that people with kidney disease should not consume more than 1500mg of sodium/day. And in pickles, chili sauce contains a fairly high amount of sodium and potassium.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are rich in potassium. A medium-sized baked potato contains about 610mg of potassium and a medium-sized sweet potato contains 542mg of potassium. Therefore, people with kidney disease who want to eat these two ingredients need to go through an appropriate cooking method.
Accordingly, to reduce the amount of potassium in potatoes, we can choose to soak. Basically, this method is understood to combine with water such as cooking soup, boiling. This step will reduce the original potassium content in sweet potatoes and potatoes by at least 50%.
Spinach, collard greens
There are many types of green leafy vegetables that people with weak kidneys or kidney problems should stay away from. Typically, the family of mustard greens such as spinach and kale - both of which are high in potassium - can be mentioned.
For example, a cup of spinach can contain 136mg potassium. This vegetable will shrink when boiled, so we often prepare a large amount to accommodate daily meals. This increases the amount of potassium absorbed, affecting the kidneys.