Eat more FIBER to improve Kidney Health
Let’s talk about dietary fiber and kidney health.
If you want to lower your creatinine levels, adding more fiber to your renal diet may be the easiest way to IMPROVE YOUR NUTRITIONAL STATUS.
According to several studies, High dietary fiber intake is associated with decreased inflammation and a SLOWER progression of chronic kidney disease.
Even in patients in the advanced stages.
Sounds great, right?
There’s just a caveat: most of the fiber has to be the kind called SOLUBLE FIBER.
So, let’s see what foods to add to your diet to get the best results in term of kidney health!
Here is the complete food list:
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My name is Katherine and I’ve been working with people suffering from kidney disease for 7 yearsnow.
And when someone asks me, Katherine, what should I eat to help with my kidneys?
What foods help repair kidney damage?
I always tell them to eat more fiber rich foods. Because those are the foods that help you the most.
Why?
This happens due to the FIBER GAP.
What is the fiber gap?
According to recent surveys, only 5 percent of people in the US meet the Institute of Medicine’s recommended daily target of 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.
Americans consume on average between 14 and 18 grams of fiber per day.
That, amounts to a population-wide deficiency – what nutritionists call the “fiber gap.”
And, this represents people with healthy kidneys. If you have CKD, it may be even harder for you to fill this gap.
People with CKD usually get even less fiber, because many fiber sources are too high in potassium and phosphorus.
Now, the good news is that when you start to fill this fiber gap, your kidneys are going to improve.
And many people think that fiber is only useful to relieve constipation, but This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Let’s see why
HERE are the benefits of Eating a fiber-rich diet
High fiber consumption is associated with better gastrointestinal health and a reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, high cholesterol, obesity, type 2 diabetes, even some cancers.
That’s because fiber is amazingly helpful in many ways: It slows the absorption of glucose – which evens out our blood sugar levels – and also lowers cholesterol and inflammation.
Yes, Fiber, is the closest thing we have to a true super-nutrient. It’s maybe the healthiest part of many different foods.
This is why fiber can help so much in lowering creatinine levels.
It actually fights all the worst enemies of your kidneys, as we can see.
Now, as I was saying there are two KINDS of fiber, soluble and insoluble.
We benefit from both but most of these benefits come from soluble fiber.
Let’s see why.
- Insoluble fiber. This type of fiber promotes the movement of material through your digestive system and increases stool bulk, so it can be of benefit to those who struggle with constipation or irregular stools.
Whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, beans and vegetables, are good sources of insoluble fiber.
Foods rich in this fiber are very healthy, don’t get me wrong. But it’s the other kind that provides most of the benefits. - Soluble fiber. This type of fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like material,
which helps control BLOOD SUGAR AND REDUCES CHOLESTEROL. It can also be metabolized by the “good” bacteria in the gut, IT ACTS AS A PREBIOTIC.
Yes, it’s incredibly healthy.
Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, some fruits and veggies, barley and psyllium.
Ok, not all these foods are good for a kidney disease patient, right?
So, what are the best foods to close the “fiber gap” and start lowering your creatinine?
Let’s take a look at this slide.
These are some of the healthiest foods you can eat, and there are also listed the grams of fiber they have per portion. Here.
The foods with the small asterisk are those rich in soluble fiber, the healthiest kind.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize the list, it’s available for download in description.
Not all these foods are suitable for the diet of people with kidney disease, so we are going to hand pick a few healthier foods you can eat safely.
-Asparagus. Half cup will give you 2 grams of fiber, mostly soluble.
Asparagus are very healthy for a renal diet, they also have detoxing properties, to help flush excess fluid and salt from your body.
But They also have some potassium, about 200mg per cup, so portion control is required.
-Then there’s beets. Another very healthy food, not just for the fiber content, 2g for half cup.
Beets are very healthy for your kidneys because they are full of dietary nitrate.
Consuming beets appears to lower the risk of common diabetes complications, including nerve damage and eye damage.
They’re also versatile, delicious, and easy to include in all kinds of recipes.
Low in potassium, beets are a real superfood, they even have blood pressure lowering properties.
Also consider
-Barley.
This ancient grain is sadly overlooked by today’s culinary trendsetters, yet it is one of the grains with the greatest health benefits. Absolutely great for kidney patients.
Not only is barley a low-glycemic grain, GREAT FOR people with diabetes, but it is also very high in soluble fiber.
Another benefit of barley is its high level of magnesium, great to lower blood pressure.
And it’s one of the best whole grains for kidney patients, because it has low potassium and phosphorus content.
Not many fruits contain soluble fiber, and this makes oranges maybe our favorite fruit today?.
When it comes to fiber content, oranges are even healthier than apples.
One medium orange contains 3 grams of fiber, mostly soluble. While the fiber in apple is mostly insoluble.
An orange also contains less than 200mg of potassium, just a little bit more than an apple.
But citrus fruits are great for your kidneys, not just for the fiber: they are a great source of vitamins and are also great to keep blood pressure and cholesterol under control.
But avoid orange juice, no fiber in it and a lot of potassium.
Now, if we take a look at this list again
We may notice that not many foods rich in soluble fiber are also suitable for a renal diet.
Many foods rich in this very healthy fiber are also too rich in potassium. Avocado, beans, potatoes, prunes, edamame, all very healthy but too rich in potassium
Mango can be safe, but it requires portion control.
So, be sure to include in your diet the 4 foods I’ve just shown you, especially barley, oranges and beets.
Now, if you want to add any of these foods to your diet, consult your doctor ok?
Now, let’s finally talk about the elephant in the room.
Even the best fiber rich foods that I’m showing you today have 3, sometimes 4 grams of fiber per portion at most.
Now, to close the fiber gap, and improve your kidney health, you need
25 grams OF FIBER per day for women and 38 grams for men, as we have seen.
Well, that’s a lot of fiber.
You should really plan your diet around these numbers, ok? if you want to get the fiber you need.
I mean, in an orange there are about 3 grams of fiber. Just 3.
A portion of most vegetables has no more than 2 grams of fiber.
So, how do you get to 25 or 38 grams per day?
Here are some easy tips to help you get more fiber.
First of all, Include Veggies in Meals, and Eat Them First.
Eating your vegetables before a meal is a good strategy for eating more of them. It has also been linked to eating fewer calories per meal.
Also,
Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
and
Make at least half of your grain servings whole grains, like barley. Now, whole grains contain phosphorus, but it’s not completely absorbed by the body.
This is why many renal dietitians are starting to consider whole grains a part of a healthy renal diet.
also
Buy unprocessed foods when you can. Food processing often removes fiber.
And also,
Avoid peeling your fruit and vegetables, when possible.
Many people don’t know this, but When you peel fruits and vegetables, you often remove half the fiber.
and also many nutrients such as vitamins, healthy polyphenols and minerals.
Yes, you’re throwing away the healthiest part of the fruit when you peel it.
And, if you snack,
Snack of fruit or on popcorn.
Individual pieces of fruit, such as an apple or pear, make great snacks because they’re tasty and portable.
Popcorn is a whole grain, very healthy when air popped and without salt.
Popcorn delivers over a gram of fiber per cup.
Last thing, consider taking a fiber supplement, if you’re still struggling to get to the recommended amount of fiber.
It’s best to get your nutrition, including fiber, from food, alright?
But if this is not possible, there are supplements that can help.
A few types of supplements have research to back them up.
Supplements that are proven to help are those containing Psyllium husk.
This is the key ingredient in Metamucil, a popular fiber supplement used to fight constipation.
Now, fiber supplements are widely available on amazon.com and any other supplements store, actually.
There are many well-known brands you can find such as Metamucil, Citrucel, and Fiberall.
But there are also supplements of Psyllium Husk, the main ingredient of Metamucil, that you can find on Amazon for a lower price.
So, shop carefully.
However, supplements have two main drawbacks.
First, they can cause stomach discomfort and bloating. To reduce this, introduce a fiber supplement gradually and drink plenty of water.
Add fiber supplements to your diet slowly, over 2 to 3 weeks. If you add it too fast, you may feel bloated.
Second, these supplements can interfere with the absorption of certain medications, so take your meds at least an hour before or 4 hours after the supplement.
On the other hand, there are no draw backs in eating fiber rich foods, if they’re suitable for your renal diet.
So, plan your diet carefully!
Now, if you are diagnosed with kidney disease, you should follow a renal diet made specifically for you by a registered dietitian.
And, for sure you can make some helpful improvements to your diet with the info you find here in my videos,
but remember that the renal diet is a tricky topic and you should discuss with your doctor any significant change you may make.
And this is all for today. Thank you for watching and for all the support you guys always give me!
See you next time!
About the Author
Michaelw Hi, my name is Michael and in this blog I'm gonna share the story of how I got off kidney dialysis for good. Getting off dialysis isn't easy at all, and that's why I'm trying to help people as much as I can.
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