Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located near the middle of your back. They remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood and make urine, which carries these substances away from your body. Kidneys also help regulate blood pressure, control electrolyte levels and produce hormones that regulate red blood cell production.
Kidney disease can be a serious condition that affects how well your kidneys work. When your kidneys don’t function properly, waste products can build up in your blood and cause damage to other organs such as your heart, brain and lungs. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition in which kidney damage has been going on for a long time without treatment. The main causes of CKD are diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
If you have CKD or are at risk for developing the disease, it’s important to eat a healthy diet that supports good kidney function. Not all foods are helpful when it comes to maintaining healthy kidneys; however, there are several foods you should include in your daily diet if you want to keep your kidneys happy and healthy.
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter out waste products in your blood and excrete them in your urine. They also play an important role in regulating the amount of fluid and minerals in your body. If you have kidney disease, it’s important to eat foods that help keep your kidneys healthy.
Try these foods to boost kidney health:
- Citrus fruits. Drinking fruit juice is often recommended as a way to increase the amount of vitamin C or antioxidants you get, but oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits are also good sources of these nutrients. Vitamin C helps protect against cell damage and may even improve kidney function. Citrus fruits also contain potassium and magnesium, which can help lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease.
- Nuts. Nuts are a good source of protein, vitamin E, zinc and selenium — all nutrients that may help protect against kidney disease. A recent study found that men who ate nuts at least twice a week had a lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those who didn’t eat nuts regularly (Journal of Clinical Nutrition).
- Vegetables — Vegetables such as broccoli and spinach contain high levels of vitamin C, which is important for keeping your immune system healthy and helping you fight disease. They also contain potassium and magnesium, which help control blood pressure and lower uric acid levels in the body (uric acid can build up in the body when a person has gout or chronic kidney disease).
