Kidneys are one of the most important organs of the excretory system in our body. They filter the urine and maintain the fluid content in our body.

Kidneys filter out the blood and extract the excess fluid from it, which is excreted out of the body in the form of urine. If they stop functioning smoothly, the mineral levels and other chemicals in our body would be disrupted. This could result in the production of toxic substances, which can be extremely harmful to the regular functioning of the body.

Some foods that damage our kidneys by putting too much pressure are salt, artificial sugar, and a large amount of meat products. Junk food contains too much salt, which forces the kidneys to retain a lot of water. Meat products are harmful, because of the heavy duty metabolism, that requires the kidneys to work extra hard, by adding extra load. Following a healthy kidney diet plan will keep the diseases at bay.

Apart from unhealthy food intake, habits like smoking, consumption of painkillers, lack of drinking enough water,  alcohol and drug abuse,  can affect the kidneys and that could result in renal failure.

To protect your kidneys from overworking, it is important to follow a balanced diet with a controlled amount of salt, sugar and other nutrients along with maintaining healthy habits.

Try out the following healthy kidney diet plans to maintain good kidney health.

Renal Diabetic Diet
A lot of diabetes patients are diagnosed with kidney related diseases. High levels of blood sugar add too much load on the kidneys and therefore causing infections, inflammation, and kidney failures in most cases.

A renal diabetic plan aims to maintain healthy blood glucose levels while minimizing the amount of fluids and waste processed by the kidneys. This diet requires a healthy amount of calorie and carbohydrate intake at specific time intervals to keep the blood sugar regulated.

What To Eat

• Skimmed or fat-free milk, plain or sugar-free yogurt
• Whole wheat/whole grain bread, white wheat, rye
• Fruits like apples, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, grapes, and pineapple
• Water, homemade tea or lemonade

What To Avoid

• Sweetened milk, yogurt and frozen desserts
• Bran bread, instant and sugar-coated cereals, salted snacks like potato and corn chips
• Fruits like avocados, bananas, dried fruits like raisins and prunes, kiwis, oranges, and pomegranate
• Regular or diet cola, beer, fruit juices, canned iced tea

Low Protein Diet

A low protein diet is recommended to the patients with kidney troubles to avoid the accumulation of urea in the body, of which could be toxic. The protein contains nitrogen, which is excreted in the form of urea or uric acid in the urine. If the kidneys are not working properly, then there is an accumulation of urea.

The aim of low protein diet is to reduce the consumption of protein-rich foods while increasing the intake of low protein foods. Complex carbohydrates, mono, and polyunsaturated fats are the main source of energy rather than proteins in this healthy kidney diet plan.

This diet should be followed, after consulting an experienced professional only. It is essential to monitor the protein levels and body weight periodically, to avoid side effects of continuing this healthy kidney diet plan over a long period of time.

What To Eat

• Vegetables and fruits: lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber, celery, apple, parsley, and water chestnuts.
• Bread
• Corn
• Potatoes

What To Avoid

• Meat
• Eggs
• Fish
• Poultry
• Yoghurt
• Milk
• Cheese
• Pulses

Kidney Stone Diet
Kidney stones are small masses of salt and minerals that are formed in the kidneys. These stones are mainly of four types: Calcium oxalate stones, calcium phosphate stones, uric acid stones, and cystine stones.

For each of these types, the dieticians recommend a slightly different healthy kidney diet plan with varying levels of sodium, calcium, animal protein and oxalate.

For Calcium Kidney Stones
What To Eat

• Milk, cheese, yogurt, tofu, oysters, lemons, and oranges
• Lean meat
• Low-fat products

What To Avoid

• Salt, processed and canned foods

For Oxalate Kidney Stones

What To Avoid

• Fruits like rhubarb, currants, strawberries
• Vegetables like Leeks, summer squash, sweet potatoes, spinach
• Tea and instant coffee
• Grits, nuts, and chocolate

CKD Diet
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a disease characterized by loss of kidney function over time. This disease happens in stages from minor to severe. Depending on the stage, the diet plan differs.
Most of the patients diagnosed with CKD are on dialysis. During this time, the urine production is reduced. A healthy kidney diet plan aims to reduce the amount of fluid intake, so that toxic fluid buildup, a result of less urine secretion can be prevented in the body.

What To Eat

• Fruits, bread, grains, vegetables
• Hard candies, sugar, honey, and jelly
• Fish, pork, eggs, and other high protein foods
• Low sodium or unsalted food

What To Avoid

• Milk, yogurt, cheese
• Chocolates, nuts, bananas