A renal diet supports healthy kidney function for those with kidney disease. Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs below your ribcage, on either side of your spine. They perform essential functions like:
Filtering your blood.
Removing waste through your urine.
Maintaining fluid balance in your body.
With kidney disease, your kidneys can’t filter your blood the way they usually would. That allows too much sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein byproducts to build up in your blood. That can worsen your kidney damage and cause your body to hold on to too much fluid. A renal diet is low in protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. It protects your kidneys so they don’t have to work so hard. It also helps manage fluid in your body so you don’t hold on to too much fluid. The specific amounts of protein, sodium, potassium, and phosphorus you can eat depend on the extent of your kidney disease. If you have advanced kidney disease, your doctor will tell you what and how much to limit.