Role of phosphorous and potassium in kidney disease diet

ROLE OF PHOSPHOROUS IN KIDNEY DISEASE

Phosphorus is a mineral found mostly in dairy products and meats. Your body uses it to form strong bones and teeth. But starting in the earlier stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), your kidneys begin to lose the ability to remove extra phosphorus from your body. Because too much phosphorus can harm your bones, it makes sense to eat less phosphorus. Some experts think 800 to 1,200 mg. of phosphorus per day is a good target.

If you are also on a lower protein diet, a low-phosphorus diet is easier because foods high in protein tend to be high in phosphorus, too. Your doctor may want you to limit dairy servings each day and take a calcium supplement. Taken with meals, calcium supplements act as phosphate binders, because they lock on to extra phosphorus and keep your body from absorbing it.

SOME LOW PHOSPHOROUS FOOD

• Certain brands of nondairy creamers, rice milk (unenriched), soy milks
• Cream cheese, sour cream
• Soda-lemon-lime, grape, strawberry, cream soda, root beer, homemade iced tea, homemade lemonade, hot apple cider, cranberry juice
• Gelatin, Popsicles, sherbet, Sorbet
• Jellybeans, fondant, gumdrops, hard candy
• Unsalted popcorn or pretzels
• Sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers, lemon cake, white or yellow cake, angel food cake
• Jam, jelly, honey, cream cheese
• Margarine, butter
• Corn or rice cereals, refined wheat cereals
• Cream of wheat, cream of rice, grits
• French, Italian or white bread
• White rice, pasta, couscous
• Fresh or frozen meat, fish and poultry (compared to processed)
• Fruits such as apples, berries, grapes, plums, pineapple, canned pears, peaches, fruit cocktail
• Vegetables such as green beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, summer squash, bell pepper, cucumber, lettuce, onion, radish.

SOME HIGH PHOSPHOROUS FOODS

• Milk
• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Ice cream
• Beer, cola, milk-based coffee, chocolate drinks
• Chocolate
• Bran
• Brown rice, wild rice
• Whole grain breads, cereals, crackers
• Corn tortillas
• Pancakes, waffles, biscuits
• Pizza
• Avocado
• Nuts, seeds, nut butters
• Dried beans and peas
• Corn, peas
• Processed meats such as hot dogs, sausage, turkey sausage, bologna
• Organ meats
• Sardines

LOW PHOSPHOROUS FOOD TIPS

• Instead of milk,use substitutes like non-dairy creamers, rice milk (unenriched) or soy milk. Because some non-dairy creamers and soy milks are high in phosphorus, check with a renal dietitian for a list of acceptable brand name products.
• Instead of cheese, use cream cheese or sour cream.
• Instead of cola or Dr. Pepper® have cream soda, lemon-lime soda, grape soda, homemade lemonade, homemade iced tea or root beer.
• Instead of ice cream have gelatin, Popsicles®, sherbet or sorbet (remember to count as fluid).
• Instead of chocolate or nuts have jellybeans, fondant, gumdrops, hard candy, unsalted popcorn or unsalted pretzels.
• Instead of chocolate cookies or cake have sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, vanilla wafers or vanilla, lemon or angel food cake.
• Instead of hot chocolate or cocoa have hot apple cider or hot spiced cranberry juice.
• Instead of bran, oat or whole wheat cereals use cereals made from corn, refined wheat or rice.
• Instead of whole grain breads use French, Italian or white bread.
• Instead of peanut butter use jam, jelly, honey, cream cheese margarine or butter.
• Instead of dried beans or peas have green beans or wax beans.
• Instead of brown rice or wild rice use white rice, pasta, macaroni, grits or couscous seasoned with margarine and herbs.
• Instead of processed meats, fish and poultry use fresh or fresh frozen items.

ROLE OF POTASSIUM IN KIDNEY DISEASE

Having the right level of potassium in your body helps all your muscles work smoothly—including your heart. So, to stay as healthy as you can, you need to keep just the right level of potassium in your blood (not too much, not too little). Keeping potassium at the right level all the time is one of the jobs that healthy kidneys do for your body. When kidneys fail, they start to lose this ability.

Your potassium level should be checked regularly with a blood test. Many foods have potassium, but some such as avocados, dried fruits (including raisins, apricots and prunes), potatoes, oranges, bananas and salt substitutes are very high in potassium. 

REFERENCE
https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/overview/the-basics/what-to-eat-when-you-have-kidney-disease/e/4665

https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/diet-and-nutrition/diet-basics/phosphorus-in-foods:-what-to-know-when-you're-on-a-kidney-diet/e/10253