Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) refers to kidney problems due to diabetes mellitus.
These include the excretion of protein in the urine (proteinuria) and slowly
developing Renal Failure. A person with this disease need to avoid some foods
and limit the amount of others. Waste products that failing kidneys are unable
to handle include fluids, protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.
Limit the intake of fluids
The damaged kidneys can not function normally to clean extra fluids, and
fluids accumulation may lead to shortness of breath, high blood pressure and
swelling of the hands, feet and legs. Congestive heart failure and fluid
retention of the lungs can even be caused. Therefore, fluids intake, including
all foods that melt to a liquid at room temperature need to be limited.
Restrict the intake of protein
Healthy kidneys can excrete protein byproducts out of the body, but impaired
kidneys fail to function well, leading to accumulation of the end product of
protein metabolism, urea, in the blood. So it is necessary to restrict protein
intake. You need to resort to complete or high-quality proteins, such as eggs,
meat, fish, fowl, and some dairy products. Avoid low-quality proteins that are
found in vegetables, fruits, starches, breads, and cereals.
Low-sodium diet
Sodium can regulate the fluid balance in our body, and excess amounts of salt
in diet may result in water retention, thus leading to high blood pressure,
sudden increase in weight, swelling of the body tissues, shortness of breath,
etc. Have a low sodium diet and avoid high sodium content foods, such as
processed meats, chips or nuts, sauces, and canned foods.
Potassium and phosphorus
High potassium levels in the blood may lead to muscle weakness, cardiac
arrhythmias, or even sudden death. Too much phosphorus may cause the bones to
become brittle and break easily. Phosphorus rich foods are dairy products,
meats, shellfish, bran, whole grain products, beans, nuts, and chocolate.