Maintaining a healthy diet is important, especially if you are afflicted with kidney disease. Adjusting to a strict, kidney-friendly diet can be a challenge, but it is worth every bite. By consuming super foods, you can help give your body a supercharged feeling. Superfoods are known to pack a nutritional punch on your health by providing free radical fighting antioxidants, which help empower your body and kidneys.
Below are a few top-ranked kidney-friendly super foods. Be sure to check with your health care practitioner or dietitian before altering or adding to your current meal plan.
Apples
Known for their bright variety of vivid colors, crispness and sweet flavor, apples, and their peels are nutrient-packed. Pectin found in apples provides a great source of fiber. Apple pectin helps promotes bowel regularity, and a single apple can contain 4 grams of fiber or more. Pectin also benefits cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol. These fruits boast antioxidant benefits as well, being a good source of vitamin C. So, how about them apples?
Blueberries
These little berries pack a big punch. Blueberries can be easily added into your favorite breakfast foods, smoothies, salads, and more. They are full of nutrients that are kidney friendly: blueberries are low in potassium for starters. They also contain a good amount of fiber, vitamin C, along with cancer and disease fighting antioxidants. Blueberries even help combat urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Onions
There is definitely nothing to cry about when eating this well-known vegetable. Although they have a kick to them, onions are loaded with antioxidants that help detoxify the kidneys, which helps flush out any kidney-related health issues. Onions are also low in potassium. They are full of quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid, which is known to help with lowering blood pressure and fighting off other diseases. Onions are also known for helping with preventing renal osteopathy.
Red Bell Pepper
Colorful and flavorful, red bell peppers are rich in vitamin A, B6, and C, just to name a few. They are also full of capsaicin, an ingredient naturally found that aids in reducing bad cholesterol, inflammation and muscle pains, and also helping with diabetes.
Sources:
http://www.yourkidneys.com/kidney-education/Diet-and-nutrition/15-super-foods-for-kidney-health/2924
http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/5-healthy-foods-to-fight-kidney-disease/
http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/kidney-friendly-diet-ckd/