Our kidneys clean our bloodstream from all impurities, and we wouldn’t last more than a few days without them. Kidneys are of great importance, even though we rarely think of them. We should take better care of them, though, and we can do it with what we eat.
Make no mistake, anything you eat passes through your kidneys in one way or another, and it can have both positive and negative effects. These are the 12 worst foods you should avoid to prevent kidney damage.
#12 – Bananas
Bananas are generally good for you as they’re packed with vitamins and minerals, but when you have problems in your kidneys, they can mean trouble.
The very same thing that makes bananas famous is what makes them dangerous — potassium. All salts, including sodium chloride and potassium, are bad for weak kidneys, so you’ll have to skip on bananas. As you’ll soon find out, bananas are not only potassium-rich food in our diet.
#11 – Avocados
Avocados are excellent sources for healthy fats, which are good for your kidneys, but the green fruit (yes, fruit) is also loaded with potassium and many other minerals that are hard on your kidneys.
If you have weak kidneys or are at risk of kidney disease, avoid potassium-rich ingredients. You’ll have to live without guacamole for a while. Your health is more important than any tasty dip.
#10 – Canned Foods
Canned foods have long shelf lives because they have hefty doses of salt. Salt, like potassium, can cause kidney failure if you’re already having problems. Watch out for savory canned foods, including spam, tuna, soups, tomato sauces, chicken broth, and baked beans.
All processed foods are dangerous even if you have healthy kidneys, but they can be fatal if you’re experiencing kidney problems.
#9 – Sausages and Processed Meat
Sausages are processed meat, cured in salted brine for preservation. The same salt that makes sausages tasty makes them bad for your kidneys.
Pepperoni, chorizo, hot dogs, and bacon are to be avoided not only because of salt but because of other compounds bad for your kidneys like fat and proteins.
#8 – Dairy
Dairy has lots of proteins and sugar in the form of lactose. There are many minerals in dairy too, which makes it hard to digest and makes your kidneys work extra hard. If you have bad kidneys, dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yogurt, will come down like a bomb.
#7 – Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are normally healthy, but they have lots of minerals, including potassium. As you already know, potassium can hurt your kidneys and do irreversible damage. Oranges are particularly dangerous for a renal diet and should be avoided both as whole fruit and juice.
Cranberry juice is an excellent substitute with equally good levels of vitamin C, but with much less potassium.
#6 – Pickled Veggies
Salted brine will weaken your kidneys fast, so they’re to be avoided if you’re on a renal diet. Brine is not only salty, but it’s also concentrated, and because the salt is diluted, it’s hits your kidneys faster, and they have no time to process it.
#5 – Potatoes
Both potatoes and sweet potatoes are loaded with minerals, including salt, phosphorus and potassium. The combination is terrible for your kidneys. Being long-chained carbohydrates, potatoes are hard to digest and make your kidneys work just too hard.
Boiling potatoes can reduce the amount of minerals in the earthy vegetable, but they’re still never entirely safe to eat. Take your precautions.
#4 – Savory Snacks
Savory snacks like pretzels, potato chips, and cheesy puffs have lots of salt, and many other artificial ingredients like flavorings, MSG, preservatives, and colorants. All these chemicals damage your kidneys slowly, and if you’re on a renal diet, they can be fatal.
Processed snacks bring many health risks, not only to your kidneys but to your whole organism, so avoid them when possible.
#3 – Butter
Butter is basically fat, and like all fats, they’re hard on your kidneys. Healthy kidneys might get rid of fats quickly, but weak kidneys won’t handle them as well. You’re looking not only at renal failure but at high cholesterol levels and obstructed arteries.
#2 – Beans
Beans are both salty and protein-rich, and although otherwise healthy, they can be deadly for people on a renal diet. Protein is made by long-chain aminoacids that take a lot of time to break down; kidneys can’t take care of them if they’re weak or not working at 100%.
#1 – Red Meat and Other Proteins
Even worse than plant-based proteins like beans, there’s meat. Fat, salt, and proteins all combine to damage your kidneys in a recipe for disaster. Limit your red meat intake, avoid fatty cuts of meat and dark poultry meat. Stay away from egg yolks and dairy and talk to your nutritionist for healthier alternatives.
The Bean-shaped organs are always there for you; take care of them.
Take care of your kidneys avoiding the foods above and make sure you enjoy a healthy diet and practice good habits. Sitting for too many hours, not drinking enough water, or not exercising enough will damage your precious kidneys too.
Take care of your friends and family and share this information because sharing is caring, and we all have a couple of kidneys we must keep safe.
