Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a gradual deterioration in kidney health resulting in the gradual loss of kidney function this is usually caused by diabetes or high blood pressure. About 26 million people in the United States alone live with this condition.

CKD affects both Kidneys and if not detected early enough or left untreated, it can deteriorate into complete loss of kidney function or total Kidney failure known as ESRD (End stage renal Disease). The kidney plays a very important role in cleaning toxins and ridding the blood of waste materials and ESRD is implies that the kidney will no longer be able to perform its duties thus making it a life threatening health condition. The kidney is also responsible for providing the hormones needed for normal body function and maintaining regular fluid and blood pressure.

Recent studies have shown that a higher dietary acid load, in a renal disease diet, is associated with a heightened risk of CKD progression, which could lead to the total loss of kidney function. This was categorically noted in 2 different reports presented at the Kidney Week in 2013.

An initial study was conducted on 1,486 adults with CKD who were participants in the National health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, Tanushree Banerjee, PhD, of the University of California San Francisco, and colleagues revealed that there is a link between high dietary acid load and ESRD among people who have CKD.

This is one of the very first studies conducted on the association of acidic foods and its progression to kidney failure in a nationally representative cohort. 311 participants, which represent 20.9% of the sample population developed Kidney failure during a median follow up of 14 years. The participants with the most acid diet loads were about 8.56 times more susceptible to kidney failure while those with the least acid diet loads were only 3.8 times more likely to suffer kidney failure.

In a subsequent study, a Japanese research group discovered that high dietary acid load with CKD progression. They conducted their research using 249 elderly CKD patients as their sample. The average age of these participants was 70.6 years and the primary endpoint of their study was a 25% decline in eGFR or initiating dialysis. They discovered that those with the highest dietary acid load were twice as likely to develop kidney failure when compared to others who had low dietary acid load. This report was presented by Eiichiro Kanda of the Tokyo Kyosai Hospital and his colleagues.

Below are some of the good renal diet foods capable of stopping the deterioration of Kidney disease:

• Blueberries – this is the fruit with the highest percentage of antioxidants. You can get as much as 14% of the required daily dose of fiber and about 25% of the required daily vitamin C needs from just one cup.

• Collard Greens – very low calorie content (30 calories per 100g). It also contains high amounts of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber capable of controlling LDL cholesterol levels and offers protection against hemorrhoids, constipation and colon cancer as well.

• Alfalfa sprouts contain saponins, which is a chemical compound that can help reduce bad cholesterol levels wile maintaining the good cholesterol levels. Saponins are also capable of preventing strokes and minimizing the inflammatory process in the kidney thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

Consume more alkaline rich renal diet foods and keep kidney diseases away. And if you’re looking for a surefire way to kickstart any kidney care supplement regime, be sure to take a look at our supplement Kidney Restore.