Why Eating Right is Essential for People Suffering from Dialysis?

Kidneys play a crucial role in purifying our blood that is needed for the smooth functioning of our muscles, tissues, and other vital organs such as the heart, liver, and brain. The core process of kidneys is to filter the chemical waste that buildup inside our bloodstream from time to time. These chemical waste products are known as creatinine. In the present world, where junk food and chemicalized beverages are gaining traction and of grave importance, people of the younger generation are more prone to kidney failure issues by inducing unhealthy eating habits such as french fries, pizzas, burgers, and street food that are garnished with infinite bacteria and viruses. Hence, demand for dialysis in India is sky-high. Studies have shown that the growing rate of dialysis patients is 31 percent, whereas in the US, the ratio has reached up to 6 percent, and 8 percent in the rest of the world. This blog has covered all the major sections of dialysis, why eating right is important for people on dialysis, and what you should eat.

Now you’re on dialysis, it’s imperative to be apprehensive with your everyday meals and should be well-informed about what is the right food and best fruit for a dialysis patient.

Eating right for people on dialysis

A well-balanced meal with all the vital protein, fluids, calories, and vitamins in an adequate amount is an undeniably important food for dialysis patients to live a good and healthy life. Let’s first introduce you introduce with the term dialysis and its significance for people suffering from kidney failure.

What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a medical treatment that is done to perform some key functions of kidneys that your kidneys used to do, such as purifying the blood and removing chemical intoxicants from the blood. But dialysis cannot break the laws of nature, which means that dialysis is not suitable for the long run, unlike our kidneys, and neither can perform some significant functions that our kidneys do. Now you’ll adjust yourself to some major changes in your diet and lifestyle for the smooth working of the procedure.

Why you need dialysis?

You need dialysis treatment when you’re on level 5 on kidney failure. Kidney failure is also known as Chronic Kidney disease that gets worse with time. People who have eGFR less than 15 are likely to lose about 85 to 90 percent of kidney functions. Dialysis is just a human way to filter blood from the body.

Things you should eat on dialysis

Your body is weak and solely reliable on dialysis that can only filter your blood and cannot adapt or accommodate like kidneys. How well you’ll be depending on what type of diet you should take. Most people on dialysis need to lower their intake on:

Potassium
Fluids
Phosphorus
Sodium

Potassium

Potassium is a mineral that is omnipresent in almost all foods and vegetables. Our body requires an adequate amount of potassium to make muscles and tissues work. But, higher potassium intake can be hazardous. Having potassium in excess in your body is called Hyperkalemia. People who are on dialysis need to limit their potassium intake to keep it neutral. Having too much potassium in your body can cause illness such as muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat, and weakness. This can cause some serious health conditions such as heart attack if overlooked and not controlled. Consult your renal dietitian how much much potassium you can take a day in your meal. Keep in check how much potassium you are taking in!

Phosphorus

Phosphorus is a common mineral found in every food. It’s one of the major components after calcium and Vitamin D that helps to keep your bones strong and healthy. The work of our kidneys is to keep the level of phosphorus low by filtering the unwanted amount out via urine. Having too much phosphorus in your blood is known as hyperphosphatemia; this can cause bone disease and make your bones weak that break easily. Lowering your phosphorus intake can help you to steer clear of your way from such problems during dialysis. Consult your doctor or renal dietitian to know how much phosphorus you can consume each day.

Fluids

Fluids work as a fuel for your kidneys that helps them to flush out chemical intoxicants that buildup in your bloodstream from time to time. But, as you’re on dialysis having too much fluid in your body can backfire you badly. Having extra water content can cause high blood pressure, trouble breathing, swelling, and even heart failure. This shouldn’t be overlooked as one loses grip on your diet can create a matter of life and death. Also, you may need to limit some fruits that have high water content such as watermelon, pear, and cucumber.

If you’re prescribed to limit fluid and feel thirsty, try these amazing tricks that will help you to extinguish your thirst:

Rinse your mouth with water without swallowing. You can also rinse your mouth with a mouthwash.
Suck one piece of ice to quench your thirst or pick a hard candy ( Consider ice as fluid and choose to have sugar free candy if you have diabetes)

Sodium

Our body demands sodium to work right. Sodium helps to keep the right amount of sodium in our body. A high amount of sodium can be a poison for anyone who’s on dialysis. Excess sodium in your blood during dialysis can lead to high blood pressure and hinders your dialysis treatments. Limiting your sodium amount can help you to keep your blood pressure low and also makes you less thirsty. Consult your renal dietitian to know how much sodium you can take in your everyday meal. Also, these tips to limit your sodium intake in your diet:

Strictly avoid salty foods in your three daily meals. Try to switch high in sodium with fresh herbs, salt-free spices, and lemon juice.
Replace processed or canned foods with frozen or fresh vegetables. Processed foods. They are also supplemented with harmful chemicals and preservatives that can affect your kidneys.
Avoid processed meats such as bacon, lunch meats, and sausages.
Keep a bowl of fresh fruits and vegetables as your snack.
Avoid pickle foods that are extremely oily and high in sodium.

If you’re battling kidney failure, don’t lose hope and switch to ayurvedic medicines to reverse kidney damage. Yes, you’ve read that, right! According to Ayurveda, kidney damage can be reversed and cured with the right food for dialysis patients and herbal medication. Ayurvedic medicines are a precise blend of natural herbs and ancient ayurvedic techniques that detect and cure primary drivers of problems.

Disclaimer:- The purpose of the content on this page is not to substitute any professional medical advice but to only provide information to the reader. If the reader is a kidney patient, we recommend not making any diet or routine changes without consulting his/her doctor or dietitian. For appointments, call at our 24×7 helpline: +91-9871712050 or visit www.karmaayurvedahospital.com