Foods to include in your renal diet plan

Chronic kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney failure, involves a gradual loss of kidney function. A kidney is a small but powerful bean-shaped organ that filters waste, releases hormones that regulate blood pressure, balances fluid in the body and aids the production of urine among other functions.

According to Julius Lwanga, a nutritionist at Kampala Hospital, there are many ways through which the kidney can be damaged including diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Others include obesity, older age, genetics, and frequent use of drugs, among others.
Different people at different stages of kidney malfunction require nearly different renal diet plans. What is good for a healthier kidney may not necessarily be good for a person undergoing dialysis. 
There are different diet plans that one may require for a healthy kidney including:

Reduced sodium intake
According to Dr Daniel Kiggundu, a kidney specialist at Kiruddu Hospital, adding raw table salt or cooking with too much salt is harmful to your health and your kidneys. Therefore, regulating your salt intake is a healthier choice for your kidneys. This is the same recommendation for those whose kidney function goes below 30 per cent. This is because kidneys may not be able to filter the excess sodium found in salt.
According to healthline.com, it is often recommended to limit sodium intake to less than 2,000mg per day.  It is worth noting that each teaspoon of salt, according to quirkyscience, contains 2,511mg of sodium.

Increased potassium intake
People whose kidney function health is above 30 per cent are advised to eat more fruits and vegetables for their potassium content. This, however, may not be the same recommendation for those with severe kidney issues. This is because much as potassium is good for nerves and muscles, weak kidneys, according to Dr. Kiggundu, may let the potassium build up instead, making it harder to control one’s blood pressure. 
“While we want to preserve kidney function for healthier kidneys, we do not want to burden them when they are damaged,” he says.

According to Lwanga, foods with potassium include doodo, nakatti, cabbage, french beans, sukuma wiki and fruits such as mangoes, oranges, pawpaw and pineapple, among others.

Just the right amount of protein 
While proteins are good for people with healthy kidneys, more than enough could be hazardous for one with kidney damage. Dr Kiggundu says plant-based proteins are more recommended than animal based proteins. However, no matter the stage of kidney malfunction, a nutritionist or doctor’s approval on some of the foods one eats is necessary.

Water
While lots of water intake is encouraged for healthy organs and body, a lot of it may actually become a burden to already sick kidneys, according to Dr. Kiggundu.  He adds that in three to five stages of kidney failure, taking a lot of water may result in water retention in several parts of the body.
“When the kidneys fail, people do not excrete enough water, if any at all. For those receiving dialysis treatment, water must be restricted,” kidney.org states.

There are other restrictions and recommendations for people with Kidney disease or failure such as reduced phosphorus intake, which is mainly higher in preserved foods, and lowered intake of alcohol.
While following a renal diet can seem restrictive, one can find healthy but delicious treats that can fit in the same plan.