My kidney patients often ask me about the kind of food they should eat and avoid with respect to their kidney disease. When it comes to certain kidney diseases like CKD, people may need to be mindful about their diet to avoid aggravating the condition of the kidney disease.
In this article, I will explain whether brinjal, beans and cucumber are good or bad for kidney disease; plus the benefits and risks that come with these food items.
Is brinjal good or bad for kidney disease?
Brinjal can be an excellent addition to the diet of a kidney disease patient since eating brinjal poses little to no harm for any person suffering from kidney disease.
Brinjal is an ideal choice for CKD patients
Brinjal can be eaten by CKD patients since brinjal contains a moderate amount of potassium and very low phosphorus. These two minerals are needed to be moderated for many CKD patients depending on the severity of their kidney disease.
Brinjal can aid kidney patients with high blood pressure.
Kidney patients suffering from kidney disease often also suffer from high blood pressure during which they are recommended to keep their sodium intake at a minimum since sodium can elevate blood pressure even more.
A cup of cooked brinjal contains about 2mg sodium, which does not pose any danger in elevating the blood pressure of a kidney patient.
Brinjal is beneficial for kidney patients with type 2 diabetes
Not only brinjal is a low-calorie vegetable but it is also high in its fiber content which is recommended in the diet for diabetic patients in order to avoid a spike in their blood sugar.
Therefore, including brinjal in the diet of a kidney patient who also suffers from type 2 diabetes can be helpful in managing optimal blood glucose levels.
Are beans good or bad for kidney disease?
Beans are a good source of protein and fiber. However, when it comes to kidney diseases, the consumption of beans may need to be moderated.
Benefits of including beans in the kidney diet
Beans are easily available in India and are commonly eaten with rice. A person suffering from kidney disease is often at risk for inflammation. Beans are naturally a good source of anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Beans are also low in their phosphorus since only half of the phosphorus in beans is absorbed in the body due to the presence of another compound known as phytates which bind onto phosphorus, reducing it’s absorption.
Concerns while including beans for CKD patients
Beans are naturally rich in potassium which needs to be limited when it comes to certain CKD patients.
Therefore, it is essential to consult with your nephrologist or renal dietitian to figure out an appropriate amount of beans that can be included in your diet according to the condition of your kidney disease.
Is cucumber good or bad for kidney disease?
Cucumber can be eaten by kidney disease patients. However, for people suffering from certain kidney diseases like CKD or patients undergoing dialysis, might need to moderate their cucumber intake.
Benefits of including cucumber for kidney disease
Cucumber contains various nutrients that are essential for our health such as insoluble fiber and minerals like magnesium which are needed by the body to manage the blood pressure.
Cucumber also contains sterols which according to a study are helpful in reducing LDL cholesterol. High cholesterol is a common occurrence in many CKD patients. Thus, including cucumber in their kidney diet might be beneficial in for them.
Cucumber is also rich in antioxidants like beta-carotene which help the cells of the kidneys by protecting them from cellular damage.
Including cucumbers in the diet can also benefit people suffering from kidney stones. Staying hydrated is an absolute must in preventing kidney stones. Since cucumber is high in its water content, it can be beneficial in preventing kidney stones to a certain extent.
Concerns while including cucumber for kidney disease
Cucumber contains high amounts of potassium which might be needed to be restricted in certain kidney disease patients suffering from CKD. Also, more than 90% of cucumber is water and hence people on dialysis need to be careful about consuming too much of it.
Therefore, it is prudent to get an individualized assessment about the condition of your kidney disease from a healthcare professional and get appropriate dietary recommendations for it.
Summary
Brinjal is a nutritious vegetable and is safe to be included in a kidney diet because of its low mineral content of potassium, phosphorus, and sodium.
Brinjal is also a low-calorie vegetable and is rich in fiber, therefore it does not pose a risk for kidney patients with diabetes.
Beans are a good source of anti-inflammatory nutrients. They are also rich in protein and low in phosphorus making them ideal for CKD patients who need to limit their phosphorus intake.
However, since beans are also rich in potassium, it might not be good for all CKD patients. Therefore, it is necessary to keep your nephrologist in the loop before including beans in your diet.
Cucumber is the source of various nutrients that can provide multiple health benefits to the body, such as lowering LDL cholesterol, protecting the kidney cells from oxidative stress, and helping kidney stone patients in flushing out the stones.
Cucumber also contains a high amount of potassium, therefore CKD patients who need to restrict this mineral would need to be mindful and confer with their doctor about the amount of cucumber they can include in their kidney diet.
