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Sodium Consumption and Chronic Kidney Disease

By: ECHN Medical Group Nephrologist Roopkiranjot K. Kahlon, MD

 

If you have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) you will need to limit sodium and be aware of your diet.

Healthy kidneys remove waste, extra water, acid and excessive sodium from the blood and excretes it as urine. When someone has CKD, their kidneys aren’t filtering the blood properly which leads to sodium and fluid retention. This can cause high blood pressure, swelling of ankles, face or fingers, fluid weight gain, kidney stones and in worse cases, difficulty lying down flat, shortness of breath or heart disease and stroke.

Sodium is a mineral found in most foods and it helps to balance how much fluid your body keeps. Sodium is necessary for regulation of nerve and muscle function. However, for someone with CKD, eating too much sodium is a concern as it increases the amount of fluid in the body, outside of the cells, leading to the issues mentioned above.

 

Why limit sodium?

Reducing sodium intake is important for everyone, not just Indvidual's with CKD. Signs you may be consuming too much salt are bloating, feeling of thirst, frequent urination, swelling, headaches, fatigue and irregular heartbeats.

Eating less sodium helps lower blood pressure, helps treat any of the symptoms listed above and may help slow down the progression of CKD. Discuss with your provider about the recommended amount of sodium per day for you but for most patients, a preferred sodium intake is less than 1500 to 2000mg per day.

Much of the sodium that we eat does not come from table salt, however it comes from the prepared and processed food items that we get from grocery stores and restaurants.

 

How to lower the sodium intake in the diet?

  • Read food labels
  • Buy fresh, non-processed, foods
  • Cook food items from scratch instead of prepared/packaged food items
  • Avoid fast food, frozen/TV dinners and canned foods that are typically high in sodium
  • Use spices, herbs and sodium free seasonings in place of salt
  • Rinse canned vegetables, beans, meats and fish with water to remove extra sodium
  • Check the label on fresh meats and poultry, sometimes sodium additives are added to increase shelf life
  • Look for food labels- sodium free, salt free, low sodium, reduced or less sodium, no salt added, unsalted and lightly salted
  • Do not use salt substitutes unless approved by your provider as most have potassium in them and CKD patients may be on potassium restricted diet

 

Always read nutrition facts label to compare foods.

The % Daily Value (DV) is based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Choose foods with lowest Percent Daily Value for sodium. The % DV allows individuals to see if the food is high or low in sodium. For example, 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high.

 

At the restaurants

  • Choose restaurants best suited to your diet or where food is made to order. Call ahead and explain that you are following a sodium restricted diet.
  • Request no salt when ordering grilled, sauteed or bakes entrees
  • Ask that sauces be omitted or served on the side
  • Chinese and Japanese food may be high in sodium. Ask for no MSG (monosodium glutamate), soy or fish sauce in food preparation
  • Choose steamed rice over fried rice if possible

 

Foods to avoid that contain high amounts of sodium (not an all-inclusive list):

  • Bouillon cubes and granules
  • Flavored salt including garlic, celery and onion
  • Barbecue sauce
  • Steak sauce
  • Potato Chips
  • Salted nuts
  • Tortilla chips
  • Bacon
  • Lunch meats
  • Sausage
  • Salty Pork
  • Relishes
  • Cheese

 

Learn more or contact us

If you have any concerns about your sodium intake or are experiencing any of the symptoms discussed, please contact us at 860.872.8563 and we can help you get on track to better health.

To learn more about our Nephrology Services, click here.

To learn more about Dr. Kahlon, click here.