Diet for good kidney health

A healthy person can regularly have less than 2,300 milligrams (2.3 grams) of sodium in their diet to keep their kidneys healthy. People over the age of 19 should consume 2,600 to 3,400 mg of potassium per day for the same.

Consider the ideal amount of phosphorus in your diet in the list below:

• Adults (people 19 years of age and older): 700 mg
• Children (9 to 18 years): 1,250 mg
• Children (4 to 8 years): 500 mg
• Children (1 to 3 years): 460 mg
• Infant (7 to 12 months): 275 mg
• Newborns (0 to 6 months): 100 mg

(Read more: Phosphorus deficiency)

For good kidney health, add the following foods to your diet:

Cauliflower

Nutrients like Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B vitamins, folate etc. are found in abundance inside cauliflower. Along with this, it is also a good source of fiber. As such, it can be added to your diet for good kidney health. Sodium (9 mg), potassium (176 mg) and phosphorus (40 mg) are present in it as well.

Blueberry

Blueberries are rich in nutrients and are one of the best sources of antioxidants. As such, you can add them to your diet to keep the kidney healthy. One cup of blueberries contains 1.5 mg of sodium, 114 mg of potassium and 18 mg of phosphorus.

(Read more: Kidney infection treatment)

Fatty fish

Omega-3 fatty acids are present in fish like salmon, tuna etc. The human body cannot make omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, it is necessary to get it from one’s diet. Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce fat levels as well as lower blood pressure levels. Note that high blood pressure can lead to many kidney-related problems, so add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet for good kidney health.

Garlic

As we mentioned earlier, for healthy kidneys, the amount of excess salt (sodium) in the body should be limited. Garlic is rich in manganese, vitamin C and vitamin B6 and also has sulfur compounding properties and anti-inflammatory properties, which can help in maintaining good kidney health. Sodium (1.5 mg), potassium (36 mg), phosphorus (14 mg) are present in garlic.

Olive oil

Olive oil can be of great use in making your kidneys healthy. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, also known as oleic acid. Monounsaturated fats are stable at high temperatures. As such, this oil can be used for cooking. Sodium (0.3 mg), potassium (0.1 mg), phosphorus (0 mg) are present in this oil. It can help in keeping the kidneys healthy for a long time.

(Read more: Acute kidney failure)

The following are the minerals to stay away from for good kidney health:

Sodium

Sodium is found in many foods. But a damaged kidney cannot filter sodium. Excess sodium can increase blood levels in the body. In such a situation, for good kidney health, less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day should be included in your diet.

Potassium

Potassium is one of the important nutrients required by the body. But if the kidneys are infected, then a person should not consume potassium in excess as it can lead to high blood levels in the body. For good kidney health, add less than 2,000 mg of potassium to your diet daily.

Phosphorus

People who have kidney-related problems or who want to keep their kidneys healthy for a long time should also limit the amount of phosphorus in their diet. In this case, a person should consume less than 800-1,000 mg of phosphorus per day in their diet.

(Read more: Kidney stone treatment)

Some other ways to keep the kidneys strong are as follows:

• Exercise regularly
• Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day
• Add essential nutrients to your diet
• Don't drink alcohol
• Avoid smoking

For good kidney health, it is important to limit the intake of sodium, potassium and phosphorus in the diet. As such, people should add foods in their diet that have a limited amount of these three elements. Apart from this, to keep the kidneys healthy, keep getting a check-up done by your doctor regularly and any tests they recommend. With these steps, you can keep the kidneys healthy and strong.

(Read more: Nephritis)