Kidney Disease Diet Tip | Soak Foods to Lower Potassium and Phosphorus

If you want to lower your potassium and phosphorous content of foods, you might want to try this kidney disease diet tip of soaking instead of avoiding them. So this information’s old, but got it back in the limelight again. Journal of Renal Nutrition, January, 2023, soaking to reduce potassium and phosphorous content of foods.

So you take a pot of water.You have your food, you put your food in the pot, you turn it on, get it to a boil, and five to 10 minutes you cook it for, and that timer starts when you turn on the flame. You don’t start it when it’s actually boiling. So results soaking foods result in a reduction of phosphorus and potassium.

Potassium reduction in beef, green, leafy vegetables and grains was 40 to 49%. Chicken, fish, and non leafy vegetable. 30 to 39%. Tubers was 10 to 20%. Now, phosphorous reduction in grains in beans was 30 to 39% in non leafy vegetables. 20 to 29% in beef, chicken, and fish, 10 to 20%.

Studies report that soaking foods in hot water for 5-10 minutes does in fact reduce potassium and phosphorus content. Using this technique to prepare foods can make it easier for adults living with chronic kidney disease to follow diet recommendations, as well as continue to eat many of the foods they love. Most kidney disease diets call for potassium and phosphorus restrictions. However, with this method, that does not necessarily mean cutting out these foods completely, as many of them offer health benefits for the body.

By soaking foods before you eat them, you can enjoy their nutritional value and taste with less of negative effects of potassium and phosphorus. Remember that potassium builds up between dialysis treatments and can lead to problems such as weakness, muscle cramps, tiredness, irregular heartbeat and even heart attack, and that potassium is found mostly in fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

Consider adding this food soaking method to your kidney diet, and to your best kidney health everyone! Other ways to reduce the amount of phosphorus is to add more natural foods to your diet.