What Is Potassium?
Potassium is a mineral that helps your nerves and muscles work the right way.
Why Is Potassium Important for People with CKD?
In some people with CKD, the kidneys may not remove extra potassium from the blood. Some medicines also can raise your potassium level. Your food choices can help you lower your potassium level.
How Do I Know My Potassium Is High?
People often do not feel any different when their potassium is high. Your health care provider will check the level of potassium in your blood and the medicines you take. The level of potassium in your blood should be between 3.5 to 5.0.*
How Do I Lower Potassium in My Diet?
Normal ranges may vary
Choose fruits and vegetables that are lower in potassium. Have very small portions of foods that are higher in potassium, like one slice of tomato on a sandwich, a few slices of banana on cereal, or half of an orange.
*Potassium level is based on one serving. One serving of fruit is one small piece; ½ cup fresh, canned, or cooked fruit; ¼ cup dried fruit; or ½ cup juice. One serving of vegetables is ½ cup fresh or cooked vegetables, 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, or ½ cup juice.
For more information, visit www.nkdep.nih.gov or call 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639).
The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) encourages people to get tested for kidney disease and educates those with kidney disease and their providers about treatments that can help delay or prevent kidney failure. NKDEP is a program of the National Institutes of Health.
What Is Sodium?
Sodium is a part of salt. Sodium is found in many canned, packaged, and “fast” foods. It is also found in many condiments, seasonings, and meats.
Why Is Sodium Important for People with CKD?
Eating less sodium helps lower blood pressure and may slow down CKD. Your blood pressure goal should be below 130/80.
One of the kidneys’ important jobs is to filter sodium out of the body and into the urine. Damaged kidneys cannot filter as well as healthy kidneys can. This can cause sodium to stay in your body and make your blood pressure go up. If your blood pressure is too high, you may need to lower the amount of sodium in your diet.
How Much Sodium Should I Eat Every Day?
Your diet should contain less than 2,300 milligrams each day, or the amount of sodium in one teaspoon of salt. Much of the sodium you eat does not come from a salt shaker. Sodium is added to the prepared foods you buy at the supermarket or eat at restaurants.
How Do I Lower the Sodium in My Diet?
Always read the Nutrition Facts label to compare foods. Choose foods with the lowest Percent Daily Value (%DV) for sodium. The %DV lets you see if a food is high or low in sodium. 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high.
What Is Phosphorus?
Phosphorus is a mineral that helps keep your bones healthy. It also helps keep blood vessels and muscles working. Phosphorus is found naturally in foods rich in protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts, beans, and dairy products. Phosphorus is also added to many processed foods.
Why Is Phosphorus Important for People with CKD?
When you have CKD, phosphorus can build up in your blood, making your bones thin, weak, and more likely to break. It can cause itchy skin, and bone and joint pain. Most people with CKD need to eat foods with less phosphorus than they are used to eating.Your health care provider may talk to you about taking a phosphate binder with meals to lower the amount of phosphorus in your blood.
How Do I Lower Phosphorus in My Diet?
* Ask the butcher to show you which fresh meats do not have added phosphorus.
What Is Protein?
Protein is in many foods that you eat. Protein can be found in foods from animals and from plants. Most diets include both types of protein. Protein provides the building blocks that help maintain and repair muscles, organs, and other parts of the body.
Why Is Protein Important for People with CKD?
When your body uses protein, it produces waste. This waste is removed by the kidneys. Too much protein can make the kidneys work harder, so people with CKD may need to eat less protein.
Animal protein includes all of the building blocks that your body needs. Plant proteins need to be combined to get all of the building blocks that your body needs.
How Do I Eat the Right Amount of Protein?
Your dietitian will tell you what amount and types of protein are right for you. Here is some general information about protein types and serving sizes:
What if I Am a Vegetarian?
There are many good sources of protein for people who do not eat meat or dairy foods. Talk to your dietitian about how to combine plant proteins to be sure you are getting all of the building blocks your body needs.
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