Foods to Avoid in CKD: Why does Food have so much impact on kidney disease? Can avoiding some foods help CKD patients manage their health or control emergencies?

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What is CKD?

How Food Choices Affect Disease Progression and Health in CKD?

Foods to Avoid in CKD

What is CKD?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a kidney failure, where the kidneys are unable to perform their functions. In most cases, this condition develops gradually. The kidneys are unable to filter blood, leading to the accumulation of toxins and excess water in the body.

Common symptoms in CKD

• Foamy urine
• Tired
• Puffiness of eyes
• Swelling in the feet, ankles (advanced case leg)
• Dry or itchy skin
• Loss of appetite
• Disturbed sleep

How Food Choices Affect Disease Progression and Health in CKD?

In chronic kidney disease, kidney function gradually deteriorates over time. As kidneys start doing less filtration, the amount of toxins, waste products, and fluid is retained in the body.

1)Food decreases the workload on the kidneys

In this situation healthy and well-planned diet may decrease the load on the kidneys. If we eat salty, junk, or high-protein foods, then our kidney has to do more work instead of a well-balanced diet.

2)High mineral

Choosing the right foods in the right amounts can help prevent excessive mineral buildup in the blood. A high amount of sodium and potassium in CKD patients can cause hypertension, irregular heart rhythm.

3) Fluid overload can be prevented

In CKD patients, fluid overload is a major issue, as the kidneys are unable to remove excess fluid, which gets accumulated and leads to breathlessness. Controlling the amount of fluid intake can prevent emergencies.

4) Effect of food on GFR

GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate) measures how well your kidneys are filtering blood—specifically, how much waste they’re clearing per minute.

Food high in protein, minerals, processed food, and junk food all together affect the glomerular filtration rate.

   What Does GFR Tell Us?

•  filtering power of the kidneys.

• stages of CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease)

•  Risk level of Kidney failure

• need for dialysis

⚠️What indicates low GFR?

• Weak kidney function.

• Toxins are collecting in the blood

• A GFR below 15 indicates dialysis.

🛑 Foods to Avoid in CKD

🧂 1. High-Sodium (Salt) Foods

• Sodium attracts water. When we eat extra sodium, our body pulls more water from cells into the bloodstream, which leads to increased blood volume and can cause hypertension, too.
• In a healthy individual kidney removes extra sodium, but recurrent hypertension can damage the blood vessels of the kidney and can affect GFR.
• In CKD patients,
• Damaged kidneys can’t remove excess sodium and water efficiently.
• This leads to fluid overload, high BP, breathlessness, and a greater burden on the heart and kidneys.

Avoid

1. Extra pinch of salt

2. Pickles (achar), papad

3. Packet chips, canned soups

4. Bakery items (bread, biscuits, pizza)

5. Processed meats (sausages, salami)

6. Ready-made masalas and spice mixes

🍌 2. High-Potassium Foods

Potassium is a mineral that helps in many functions, like

• • Muscle function (including heart)

  • Nerve signals

  • Fluid balance

• In a healthy individual, the kidneys excrete extra potassium, but in CKD kidneys are unable to do so.

• High potassium can cause:

  • Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)

  • Muscle weakness

  • In severe cases → cardiac arrest (heart may stop suddenly)

Avoid

• Bananas, oranges, mangoes

• Potatoes (white and sweet)

• Tomatoes and tomato puree

• Coconut water

• Spinach, beetroot

• Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, dates)

🧀 3. High-Phosphorus Foods

• A damaged kidney is unable to remove extra phosphorus.
• High phosphorus pulls calcium from bones, making bones weak.

• Extra phosphorus + calcium may form hard deposits in:

  • Blood vessels

  • Heart

  • Lungs

• This increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and organ damage.

• In CKD, high phosphorus triggers parathyroid hormone(PTH) to maintain the calcium-phosphorus ratio.

 

• CKD → High Phosphorus + Low Calcium
  ↓
  Increased PTH Production
  ↓
  PTH pulls calcium from bones to fix levels
  ↓
  Long-term bone loss → Renal Bone Disease (Renal Osteodystrophy)

Avoid:

• Cheese, paneer, and full-fat dairy

• Chocolates and colas

• Nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds)

• Whole grains (brown rice, oats, millet in later stages)

• Phosphate additives in processed foods (check labels!)

🥩 4. Excess Protein (in early-stage CKD)

Too much protein increases waste products like urea, creatinine. In CKD, the kidneys struggle to clear these toxins.

• Lowering protein intake = less waste = less strain on kidneys

Avoid or limit:

• Red meat (mutton, beef)

• Organ meat (liver, kidney)

• Protein powders (unless prescribed)

• Excess eggs (especially yolk)

• Full-fat milk and curd

📌 Note: In dialysis, protein needs may increase—always follow your renal dietitian’s advice.

CKD Stage	Recommended Protein Intake
Early CKD	~0.8 g/kg/day
Moderate CKD	0.6–0.8 g/kg/day (under supervision)
Dialysis Patients	Often need more protein (1.0–1.2 g/kg/day) due to loss during dialysis

(Always personalized by doctor/dietitian)

🔍 High-Protein vs Low-Protein Foods:

High-Protein Foods (limit in CKD)	Lower-Protein Options
Meat, fish, chicken, eggs	Limited portions of dairy, tofu
Paneer, dal, chana, rajma	Soaked & pressure-cooked dals in small amounts
Nuts, seeds	Occasionally and in moderation

🍭 5. Sugary and Junk Foods

High sugar food has a long-term effect on insulin resistance and diabetes, and faster CKD progression.

Junk foods are hidden enemies loaded with sodium, phosphorus, and sugar ultimately lead to progressive kidney damage.

Avoid:

• Sweets, cakes, pastries

• Sugary sodas and artificial juices

• Ice creams, sweetened yogurt

• Deep-fried snacks (samosa, kachori)

✅ Quick Tips:

• Always read labels look for sodium, phosphate, and potassium content.

• Portion control is key—even healthy foods can become risky in excess.

• Get your labs done regularly (GFR, potassium, phosphorus, creatinine).

• Keep routine consultation with the nephrologist and dietitian.

This blog is for informational purposes. Please consult a renal dietitian or the nephrologist before making any food changes.