Healthy Kidney Diet Plans

An overall healthy diet and lifestyle is in many ways the key to maintaining healthy kidneys. Getting regular exercise, keeping your weight and blood pressure down through a beneficial diet and ceasing smoking are all necessary elements to avoiding chronic kidney disease.

Water

The primary function of the kidneys is to filter toxins from your blood and siphon them into your urine for removal. To do this, they require a steady input of water. Simply put, if you don't drink enough water, your kidneys can't do their job and will become unhealthy. Kidney stones and chronic kidney disease can all result from insufficient water intake.

Drink at least eight 8-oz. servings of water every day to maintain healthy kidneys, and add more if you are a particularly active person. Some fruits and vegetables---including watermelon, cucumber, zucchini and tomatoes---are more than 90 percent water, so eat plenty to optimize hydration.

Protein

Most Americans consume far more protein than they require, most of it in the form of meat. Eating excess protein stresses your kidneys, and can lead to impaired kidney function.

Replace most of the meat in your diet with more vegetables and whole grains so that your kidneys can focus on eliminating toxins from your blood. In addition, the switch from meat to plant foods can help you lose weight and reduce your blood pressure, two prime risk factors for chronic kidney disease.

Cholesterol

High levels of LDL cholesterol can harden your arteries including those in the kidneys, with plaque, leading to reduced kidney function and an increased chance of stroke and heart attack.

To keep your cholesterol level down and your kidney health up, keep fatty meats and dairy to a minimum. Eat lean meats and nonfat dairy products, and generally increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet.

Sodium

Excess sodium intake is one of the single greatest causes of high blood pressure, which in turn is a major cause of kidney problems. While there are often genetic and other factors, aim to control your blood pressure by consuming 1,500mg a day---less than half of what the average American consumes. And watch those labels for sodium in condiments and prepared foods, some of which may surprise you by their high sodium content.

Also, because much of that extra salt typically hides in processed foods from the supermarket and in restaurant meals, prepare most of your meals at home, using herbs and spices instead of salt for flavor.

Glucose

Diabetics are at a particularly high risk for kidney health problems, as unregulated glucose acts as a poison in the kidneys. Because diabetes can develop at any time in a person's life, and can go undetected for years, keep your blood-sugar levels in mind when considering your diet.

Avoid heavily sweetened goods and refined sugars, which cause blood sugar levels to spike dramatically, posing a threat to the kidneys. In addition, drinks with high sweetener content such as soda are strongly linked with obesity, a risk factor for kidney health problems.

Smoking

Add kidney health problems to the list of smoking's dangers. Smoking increases the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, partly through its tendency to raise blood pressure. Quitting smoking---or not starting in the first place---is an important part of keeping your kidneys healthy.