18 WORST Foods For Kidney Damage [BEST Kidney Disease Diet]

18 WORST Foods For Kidney Damage [BEST Kidney Disease Diet]

This is Dr. Tom Biernacki,
and these are the foods you need to avoid to help your kidneys
and help reverse the damage done to them. And we’re starting now. I know as a foot doctor, I’m probably not the number one person
to be getting your kidney info from. What people don’t realize
is we see thousands of patients every year with swollen feet, swollen ankles,
peripheral neuropathy, ulcers, and one of the number one contributors for
that is kidney disease. So especially in the early stages
of kidney disease, I see a lot of these patients. I make sure to get the workups,
get people to see the proper nephrologists and their doctors. Kidney disease is so common, 840
million people in 2017 worldwide had it. That’s one in ten people. And most don’t even know it. Look at how much it’s increasing. It’s one of the most common
and the most expensive diseases out there. So make sure you get checked out
if you think you might have it. Right now I’m doing a deep dive
for my patients and myself. What can be done about kidney disease? How can you help your kidneys? And these foods are very important
to help people with their kidneys, because a lot of the times
this can be improved. There are small changes you can make
to turn your entire life around. And I see that with my patients
with kidney disease that come in. Sometimes these symptoms
can just sneak up on you. But dry, itchy skin. Being tired, bubbly or foamy pee, more swelling in the foot, hands
puffy eyes. Trouble sleeping. Loss of appetite. Muscle cramps. They need to pee more often. and I almost feel guilty saying these because I experience
all of these symptoms. And check out these skin changes, paleness
skin discoloration, hyperpigmentation particularly if you have like little red
blood vessels underneath your pale skin surface scratch marks
that are not healing dry skin. That’s something you see a lot,
kind of the ashy dry skin. Your kidneys perform
a very important functions, including filtering your blood, removing waste
through the urine, producing hormones, balancing
minerals, maintaining fluid balance when your kidneys become damaged
and cannot function properly. Fluid can build up in your body
and waste can accumulate in your blood. You feel fatigued, tired. Toxins build up. You get conditions like gout, and
this creates further damage to your body. So to be clear,
this is not for kidney stones. That’s a separate video. This is for chronic kidney disease that’s associated with aging,
with diabetes, with heart disease, with vascular disease. Over time, as our kidneys slow down. This is what these are foods for. common causes in the United States. And number one is diabetes. Diabetes rates are rising every day. To me, these rates are crazy. Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi
Arabia, the Middle East, Mexico. Extremely high diabetes rate. The U.S. is actually number 55
in terms of population. Right around there is China. And believe it or not, China actually has the most overall diabetics
in the world now. And after COVID,
the prediabetes rate is rising. So China and India make up the vast
majority of diabetics worldwide. And it’s increasing rapidly. everything you can
to control your diabetes, getting your blood sugar down,
correcting your diet, losing weight. That’s one of the best things you can do
to lower your blood sugar rate and to improve your kidneys. In the early stages,
there can be progress made for sure. Number two, high blood pressure. High blood pressure constrain the blood vessels and the kidneys
leading to chronic kidney damage. This is very common cause. And number two,
behind diabetes, alcohol consumption, frequent urinary infections, smoking. Side effects from certain medications. Anti-inflammatories are very common
and there are other genetic actions and other toxicities. glomerular nephritis. This is an inflammatory condition
which can damage the kidney. And then there’s also polycystic
kidney disease. There’s kidney infections, there’s
urinary tract obstruct actions, and certain medications can irritate them. Most famously,
the anti-inflammatory drugs, nonsteroidal drugs, antibiotics and blood
pressure medications. There is also autoimmune disorders
in genetics, and a big one is alcohol consumption
or older age. Some diets that you can do
is cutting out your alcohol, cutting out smoking,
getting as healthy as possible. How are dietary restrictions
for kidney disease determined? Your specific dietary restrictions
will depend on the stage of your kidney disease. Different stages have different
recommendations, so like a stage one or early kidney disease
will have much different recommendations than end stage kidney failure. Those with end stage
kidney disease do need dialysis and they need to have their water filtered
out of their body and their waste. This point,
you do want to work with your doctor. It’s a little bit
more of an advanced situation, but generally these principles
should still hold true the beginning, most people don’t even know they have it. But remember, this is 1/10 of the world
that’s experiencing it. So the early symptoms is generic stuff
like swelling in your feet, in your toes. You’re a little bit tired.
You just have to pee a little bit more. But your kidneys
are still working at 60 to 89%. But then stage three,
you might start getting out. You might have started getting some more
swelling, you might be getting more of the symptoms that we talked about
and then stage four, failure is imminent. You’re already down to 15
to 29% of your original kidney function. And then when you get down to 15% or less, that is end stage kidney failure. That’s when you start having significant
problems and you need dialysis. That’s when your life really changes,
unfortunately. in those with chronic kidney disease. That means your body cannot adequately
remove sodium, potassium, phosphorus. As a result, they’re at a higher
risk of elevated blood levels. Of these. A kidney friendly diet or a renal diet
focuses on limiting things like sodium. So you want to keep it under about
2.3 grams per day or 2300 milligrams, as well as limiting
your potassium in your phosphorus and as well your protein levels. You don’t want to overload your kidneys
all at once. The National Kidney Foundation does not
set specific numbers on a lot of these, but it is smart to look at the studies
and know that they should be kept low. Damaged kidneys may also have trouble filtering
waste products and protein metabolism. Grass,
especially stages three through five, should limit
the amount of protein in their diets. Unless they’re on dialysis,
then your dialysis will take care of it. But you have to remember,
you can’t just stop eating protein because almost all of us
are short on protein at the same time and you don’t want your muscles
to get weak. So it’s a balancing act. If you have kidney disease, you may also follow a special diet
low in sodium, phosphorus, potassium. And while this may not always clear kidney, there’s a good chance
that it can improve the function. And as your body weight gets down and get
healthier, you will function way better. Here’s the list of the top 18 foods. Number one, soda. This is filled with high fructose corn
sirup and dark colored sodas as well. The dark color harbors phosphorus,
which can be damaging to your kidneys. The high fructose corn sirup,
it gets converted of fat in your liver. In your body,
it puts more stress on your kidneys. This is the number one thing
you can remove. So sodas, juices
with high fructose corn sirup. That added phosphorus in soda. It’s not good for you. You don’t want that additive. It’s bad for your kidneys. So if you drink soda every day.
Get rid of it. There’s a lot of studies on the phosphorus
in sodas at 12 ounce bottle can have 34 milligrams of phosphorus
as a result. This is an easy number one. Get rid of this in your diet. Stop drinking soda.
It will change your life. Not just because of the high fructose
corn sirup, but because of the phosphorus as well,
which is harmful to your kidneys. Number two, avocados. I love avocados. They have a lot of heart,
healthy, fat, fiber and antioxidants. But the problem is
they have a high amount of sodium. So if you’re in stages three, four
or five of kidney disease, you probably want to limit going crazy
on the avocados. In fact, one
avocado has 690 milligrams of potassium. But if you’re in like stage one
or you don’t have kidney disease. Avocado is great for you.
And that potassium could actually help with blood pressure
by reducing the portion. That could be good
enough. Just keep an eye. You want to keep that potassium
to a reasonable amount. So eating two or three
avocados might be too much. While an avocado is super healthy
normally. Be aware of the high potassium
that is tough on your kidneys. Number three, canned foods
or soups of vegetables? Beans. These are low
cost are usually easy to eat. They’re easy to preserve,
but they’re very high in salt. Remember? People with kidney disease do best
with less than 2000 milligrams of sodium. Look on the side of those cans. They are loaded with sodium. It’s like half your day’s value. Number four, whole wheat bread. Choosing the right bread
could be confusing. What kind of bread? Dark bread is usually great
for its high fiber content, but the problem is it’s
high in phosphorus, high in potassium. These are hard on your kidney. You want to give your kidney a chance. You don’t want it overworked. A slice of bread, for example,
can have 90 milligrams of potassium. So in a few slices of bread, that’s like half your day’s
limit of phosphorus and potassium. Cutting out breads will limit the amount of sugar
you’re getting in your diet anyway. It’ll make you healthier.
So cut the breads out as well. Lower phosphorus. Lower potassium levels. Number five, brown rice. Brown rice is better than white rice
in most circumstances, but the potassium and phosphorus
content is higher than in white rice. One cup of brown rice has about 150 milligrams of phosphorus
and 95 milligrams of potassium. You might want to go with something else
realistically. Get a new base. I go over different bases
that you can put in my kidney repair diet,
which is the opposite of this video. Check that out once you’re done. This one. Consider bulgur buckwheat
pearled barley as nutritious, lower phosphorus grains that can make
a good substitute for brown rice. So because of the phosphorus
potassium, avoid brown rice. Number six bananas. I love bananas. Normally they’re super healthy,
but with kidney disease, you have to be aware of the high potassium
content. And one medium banana can be almost 450
milligrams of potassium. This is really high potassium levels,
which are normally good for blood pressure,
but for kidneys, not the greatest. If you’re stage three, four or five,
pineapples can be a great option for fruit. Without the potassium, for example. Number seven, dairy. Dairy products are great in vitamins
and nutrients. I have a video of the top ten lies
and all the new studies on dairy. Check that out. It’s actually really good for you
in most cases. For most people,
not all people have kidney disease. Is one of those people because of the high
phosphorus and potassium. A cup of milk has 322
milligrams of potassium. It’s hard on your kidneys. There’s some phosphorus there. So maybe limit your milk. You can drink a glass,
but you don’t want to drink much more. There is also high in protein,
which is normally good, but you just want to keep an eye on these levels
phosphorus, potassium and protein. It’s high in milk and normally.
Good for you. It’s good for your bones,
but you don’t want it with kidney disease, or at least you want to keep an eye on it. Number eight, oranges and orange juice. These are loaded with high fructose
corn sirup. And while they do have vitamin C as a nutrient,
it does have high potassium in this juice. The reality is juices suck. They’re filled with high fructose
corn sirup. They don’t tell your brain
that you’re full. You keep drinking potassium. There is some nutrition in it, but the reality is just eating orange
instead is 100 times healthier. You could try the actual fruits themselves
and grapes, apples, cranberries instead. Number nine, processed meats. I would say this processed meats
have been given a bad rap. I’m not saying to go with them
because they’re generally cheaper. Be aware that they’re salted,
dried, cured. They’re high in salt in a lot of cases. And you want to limit your sodium levels. And the fact that they don’t have sugar is good for you,
but you don’t want that salt and you don’t want to overload your body
with too huge amounts of protein. Number ten pickles, olives and relish. These are normally great. They’re usually cured. This is a large amount of salt
and it’s hard on your kidneys. So, for example, one pickle can have like
500 milligrams of sodium or more. Same with sweet pickle relish. Same with olives. They can be very salty,
especially for storage. The more you want to storm, the more salt
they’re going to have. Pickles, olives and relish,
usually high in sodium. Number 11, apricots. These are rich in vitamin C and fiber,
but they’re also high in potassium. It’s very sad
because all these normally great foods are high in potassium
and they can be hard on the kidneys. Just one cup of apricots
can be 1500 milligrams of potassium. That’s more than you want to take. This mean just one cup can give you 75%
of your 2000 milligrams potassium. Hard cap restriction. It’s best to avoid these apricots
until your kidneys get better if they do get better. Number 12, potatoes and sweet potatoes. These are potassium rich vegetables. Normally an okay option,
but 550 milligrams of potassium
in some of these potato portions. Just be aware that boiling
it can decrease, it leaches out in the water, but
5 to 10 minutes only decreases it by 20%. This is called potato leaching. It does leach some nutrients
while you’re boiling it. But the reality is
you just want to be aware there’s a lot of potassium
in sweet potatoes and potatoes. Number 13, tomatoes. Tomatoes are another high potassium fruit
may not fit the guideline of a renal diet. They can be served raw or stewed
and are often used to make sauces. Just one cup of tomato sauce can contain
almost 800 milligrams of potassium. These are commonly used in many dishes. Several substitutes are available. I love tomatoes normally,
but they’re high potassium. You got to keep an eye on it for that 2000
milligram cap of 14 packaged instant and premade meals. These are usually high in salt, especially
frozen microwaveable instant noodles. Be aware 2300 milligrams
per day may be difficult. If you’re eating these,
you’re going to shoot way past that. That puts a lot of stress on your kidneys. Anything process,
anything that sits on a shelf will have a lot of high fructose corn,
sirup or salt. Anything packaged that you heat up in the microwave
or the oven, just be aware of it. This means Swiss chard,
spinach and beet greens. These are leafy green vegetables
with high amounts of nutrients, minerals, including potassium. These are normally so healthy for you,
maybe even like stage one or two, they’re great for you. But once you’re in the later stages,
you want to limit that potassium. And all of these
have a high amount of potassium. For example, raw spinach can significantly
shrink when you cook these. It takes a lot of that potassium
out of there, but may be like 50%. It’s still something to keep an eye on. And also for kidney stones, it does
contain slits and can put you at risk. These kidney stones may further damage your kidney tissue
and decrease kidney function. Leafy green vegetables
like Swiss charge, spinach beet greens are normally superfoods
that are amazing, but they can cause kidney stones
and overload your kidneys with potassium. Number 16 dates, raisins and prunes. These are common dried fruits, but their nutrients are concentrated,
especially potassium. For example, one cup of prunes provides 1270 milligrams of potassium,
which is nearly five times the amount of potassium
found in one cup of plums. Given the high amount of potassium in these common dried
fruits, it’s best to go without them while on a renal diet to ensure your potassium
levels remain favorable. These nutrients are concentrated
when fruits are dried, therefore, potassium content of dried fruit,
including dates, prunes and raisins, is extremely high, and you have to
be careful on a renal diet. Number 17 pretzels, chips and crackers ready to eat snacks
like pretzels, chips and crackers. Anything that can sit on your shelf
for a long time is pretty high in salt. So it’s important that we also eat way
more than our portion size. That’s salt intake is really going
to overload your kidneys in the fact that chips are made from potatoes
means you’re also getting potassium. So salt and potassium
is hard on your kidneys. And the number one. Bah bah bah bah bah bah. The worst high
fructose corn sirup and high sugar foods diabetes is by far the number one
risk factor for chronic kidney disease. High fructose corn sirup is so cheap to
make, it’s injected in all of our foods. There are so many bad foods
like anything processed, like candies, cookies, anything that sits on a shelf,
any added sugar. Diabetes is by far the number one
risk of chronic kidney disease. If you can fix your diabetes, which for a lot of people improving
the symptoms is definitely possible. I don’t know where this crazy theory comes
from that you can’t reverse diabetes. I’m not talking about type one diabetes
because that’s only 10%. Yes, that is a different story. But type two or obesity related
diabetes due to high fructose corn sirup, you can improve this
by helping your diabetes. It takes so much strain off your kidneys,
it stops it from getting worse. So even if it doesn’t reverse it,
it stops it from getting worse. It saves your health. You have to do something
about your diabetes. Kidney
disease is a brutal, torturous process. Don’t
get to the point of being on dialysis. And if you think you might have
kidney disease, get checked out,
get your lab levels monitor. I have a video that goes over
how to diagnose your kidney disease. Make sure to check that out. Here’s the big secrets of kidney disease. Is it reversible? It’s improvable
so you can improve your situation a lot. Is anything in this world reversible? We can’t reverse old age. So from that standpoint,
nothing is reversible. But things can be improved. An obese diabetic person can lose weight,
get fit, build muscle, get jacked, and you can do it to the fact that you can’t do 100% improvement
and become a healthy teenager again. Doesn’t mean you can’t improve your life
like 90% or more. I see that all the time with my patients. So that’s my pep talk to you.
I believe in you guys. You, the audience are so amazing
and I love you guys so much. I want you to be successful. You can turn your life around
and make that decision today. What foods help the kidneys work better? The best thing you can do to help your kidneys is to eat
a well-balanced diet of nutritious vitamin rich foods that are low in sodium,
potassium and phosphorus. And I include that guide below. But things like cheeses are a good option Milk alternatives like oats, soy or rice,
milk, healthy cooking oil such as olive oil,
extra virgin olive oil, fish like salmon. You get that omega three fatty acid as long as you don’t go
crazy eating way too much protein. But fresh fruit can be good,
like strawberries, blueberries, berries with antioxidants or good apples. Pomegranates. Beans can be very good. Tofu can be really good cheeses
like grated parmesan mozzarella, monterey,
Swiss cheese breaches. They’re all usually okay. Is peanut butter good for the kidneys? Peanut butter is a good source of plant
protein. It’s naturally low in carbohydrates,
it’s low in carbs. It has plenty of fiber. And it’s a good substitute
for meat in a kidney diet plan at Costco. I like that powdered peanut butter. That’s a great option for me. Lower in calories. Just be aware that there are oxalate
if you eat too much peanuts and this can contribute to kidney stones. So if you’re prone to kidney stones,
that can make your kidney problems worse. So just don’t go crazy with that peanut
butter and take a look at the brand. Make sure there’s no extra salt or sugar
added to the peanut butter. Is chocolate bad for the kidneys? And dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants
and has actually been shown to reduce inflammation in people
undergoing dialysis? Yes, that’s a real study,
but it is high in calories. And added sugar containing phosphorus and
potassium can lead to too much overload. If you go crazy, you want to keep it
in moderation and you’re good. Are eggs good or bad for the kidneys? Eggs are highly nutritious
and can fit into a balanced renal diet. However, if you have a protein
restriction, be aware. But the reality is there’s no reason
eggs can’t help you. I’ve heard so many good stories with eggs
and even with people with kidney disease. Just be aware. Don’t go crazy. Like eating like 24 eggs in a day. Is coffee bad for kidneys? Enjoying the occasional cup of coffee
is typically fine on a renal diet and is unlikely to affect
the kidney health. However, drinking more than four
cups and adding milk creamer or flavored
sirup can add potassium phosphorus. So just be aware. kidneys are intricate. Organs with millions of nephrons
and kidney damage is often caused by chronic conditions
like diabetes. High blood pressure, vascular disease
and not a specific food. The key is controlling these specific
conditions that chronic kidney disease can result from a variety of factors,
and the most common include diabetes. This is by far the leading cause,
and diabetes rates are going sky high. As a foot doctor, I see so many diabetic
patients and kidney disease patients. This is the number one thing you can do
if you can control your diabetes and get your blood sugar down.
That is huge. The bottom line is
if you have kidney disease, limit your potassium,
your phosphorus, your sodium. And this can be an important aspect
of managing kidney disease. A lot of the times, if your health improves,
your kidneys don’t have to work as hard. And sometimes the body’s
an impressive thing, it can improve. So earlier stages of kidney disease
can improve to certain types of kidney stages, can improve,
certain types of diseases can improve. And it all depends on you and the doctor
evaluating you as well. Following a renal diet is tough,
but you can do it. I believe in you guys. Check out my related
videos on all that below.

🦶 We review the Kidney Disease Diet: How To Eat Right With CKD! The 18 foods that should be monitored and then the BEST foods to help reverse kidney disease and kidney damage)🦶

Chapters:
0:00 Best Foods for kidneys
0:39 Do I have Kidney Disease
1:20 Kidney Disease Symptoms
1:55 What is kidney disease
2:21 Kidney Stones
2:35 Kidney Disease Causes
3:31 High blood pressure & kidney diease
4:28 Kidney disease recommendations
4:58 Kidney Disease Stages
5:45 Sodium, Potassium & phosphorus
7:07 Top 18 Foods you must avoid
7:17 Soda & Juices
8:05 Avocados
8:50 Canned Foods
9:10 Whole wheat bread
9:46 Brown Rice
10:27 Bananas
10:54 Dairy & Milk
11:40 Oranges & Orange Juice
12:08 Processed Meats
12:32 Pickes, Relish, Olives
12:57 Apricots
13:27 Sweet Potatoes
13:59 Tomatoes
14:27 Packaged Meals
14:52 Swiss Chard, Spinach, beans
15:27 Oxalates & Kidney Stones
15:41 Dried Fruits
16:24 Salted Snacks, chips & crackers
16:49 High fructose corn syrup
18:05 Chronic Kidney Disease Big Secrets
18:16 Is kidney disease reversible?
18:54 Best foods to repair kidney disease
19:43 Is peanut butter good for the kidneys?
20:23 Is chocolate good for kidneys
20:40 Are eggs good for kidneys?
21:02 Coffee
21:52 Summary

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DISCLAIMER:
Dr. Tomasz Biernacki received his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine in 2013; he completed his Surgical Reconstructive Foot Surgery & Podiatric Medicine Residency in 2017; he completed 2x traveling Fellowships in Diabetic Surgery, Skin Grafting & Nerve Surgery. He is double board certified in Podiatric Medicine and Foot & Ankle Surgery. Dr. Biernacki is a licensed podiatrist & surgeon in Michigan. This video should not be used to self-diagnose and is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, prescription, or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Biernacki and you. It would be best to not change your health regimen or diet before consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam & diagnosis. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.