DASH Diet May Protect Against Kidney Disease

About 200,000 people are diagnosed with it every year. Symptoms develop slowly, and some people don't show any signs of a problem. There is no cure. But a simple blood test can tell if your kidneys are healthy or not. And eventually, you or someone you know will develop renal disease.

About 1 in 3 adults in the United States is currently at risk for developing renal disease. And 26 million already have poorly functioning kidneys.  It's a serious problem that can have a significant impact on your health. You need your kidneys to remove wastes and toxins from your blood, help control blood pressure, support bone health, manage fluid levels, and support other functions.

Do you just roll the dice and hope you don't develop renal disease? Or is there something you can do to prevent it? Two new studies suggest that there is a way to help reduce the risk for developing renal disease. And the answer is so simple it might surprise you.

Eat healthier foods. OK, so there's a little more to it than that. But it's not complicated. In two separate studies, researchers found that people who followed the DASH Diet cut their risk for renal disease by up to 16 percent.

So what is the DASH Diet and is it good for kidney disease patients? It's a nutrition plan originally developed by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to help people control blood pressure. But it's proven to be beneficial in other ways like lowering the risk for renal disease and heart disease.
Want to lower your risk for renal disease? Check out the Do's and Don'ts of the DASH Diet.

DASH Diet Do's

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Low-fat or non-fat dairy products
• Whole grains
• Fish
• Lean meats
• Nuts and seeds

DASH Diet Don'ts

• Foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats
• High-sodium foods
• Sweets
• Sugary drinks
• Red meats

Even though the DASH Diet recommends avoiding certain foods, that doesn't mean you have to settle for less than tasty foods. In fact, our Renal Diet menu has many meal options to choose from that model the DASH Diet like Tilapia & Rice Pilaf with Mushroom & Artichoke Hearts, Salmon & Vegetable Linguini, Cod with Miso Ginger, Black Beans & Rice with Peas, and many others.