Once your kidneys start to go, life gets complicated. There are certain nutrients you need to avoid overdosing on (e.g., potassium). Your drug doses may need to be adjusted. You may retain fluid, causing high blood pressure, swollen legs, and trouble breathing. You may end up needing dialysis, which is a major pain in the ass.
One early sign of kidney disease in some cases is leakage of albumin (a protein) into the urine.
A healthy diet may help preserve kidney function. But what to eat?
The diet described in this Renal and Urology News article sounds like the Mediterranean diet to me.
Adhering to a healthy diet may reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and albuminuria, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
Such a diet is rich in vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy products and low in red and processed meats, sodium, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Jaimon T. Kelly, PhD, of Bond University in Australia, and collaborators, analyzed 18 studies that included a total of 630,108 healthy adults followed for a mean 10.4 years. Their meta-analysis of low to moderate grade studies found that a healthy dietary pattern was associated with a 30% lower incidence of CKD and a 23% lower incidence of albuminuria, according to results published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
The dietary patterns that were most frequently studied included the Mediterranean diet, DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, and US dietary guidelines.
Source: Healthy Diet May Prevent CKD, Albuminuria – Renal and Urology News
Steve Parker, M.D.
PS: Click for info on chronic kidney disease from the National Kidney Foundation.
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