Potassium Restrictions in Kidney Disease

Potassium is a mineral found in many of the foods you eat. It plays a role in keeping your heartbeat regular and your muscles working right. It is the job of healthy kidneys to keep the right amount of potassium in your body. However, when your kidneys are not healthy, you often need to limit certain foods that can increase the potassium in your blood to a dangerous level. You may feel some weakness, numbness and tingling if your potassium is at a high level. If your potassium becomes too high, it can cause an irregular heartbeat or a heart attack.

The general potassium guidelines are modified based on stage of chronic kidney disease.Recommendations for CKD stage 1-2 are less than 4000 mg a day (4 grams/day).CKD stage 3-4 is 2400 mg a day (2.4 grams/day).How much potassium you need is also determined on blood tests and medications.Most high potassium foods come from plants.Fruits and vegetables tend to be the high potassium sources.

	Vegetable	Fruit	Other
HIGH (250-500 mg)         AVOID	Artichoke, 1 medium, boiled Cucumber, ½ cup Mushrooms, ½ cup Okra, boiled, 8 pods Peas, split, mature, boiled Tomato, red raw, 1 medium	Apricot, halves, 1 medium Banana, medium Cantaloupe, pieces, ½ cup Dried Fruit, 1/3 cup Honeydew, ½ cup Kiwi, 1 medium Mango, 1 medium Nectarine, 1 medium Plantain, sliced, cooked, ½ cup Pomegranate, 1 medium	Juices 1/3 cup: ·       Grapefruit ·       Orange ·       Tomato ·       Prune ·       V8 Dried beans, ½ cup Instant coffee Low sodium bullion Milk, 1 cup Molasses, 1 Tbsp Sport drinks Some powdered drink mixes Soy Milk, 1 cup Yogurt, ½ cup
VERY HIGH (>500 mg)     AVOID	Beet greens, boiled ½ cup Parsnips, boiled, 1 parsnip 9” Potato, salad, instant, white, sweet Soy beans, boiled, 1 cup	Apricots, dried, sulfured, ½ cup Avocado, ½ medium Papaya, 1 medium Peaches, dried, sulfured, ½ cup Spinach, can, 1 cup	Lentils, 1 cup Nuts, ½ cup Salt substitutes Tomato paste, can 6 ounces

 

Always avoid Starfruit, also known as Carambola

Leach (soak) potatoes and beans to remove some of their potassium.Peel and cut, soak in large amount of water for at least 2 hours, drain, rinse, drain again, cook in large amount of water.

Drain all canned fruits and vegetables.

Mix very small amounts of high potassium fruits with low potassium fruits in a fruit salad or very small amounts of high potassium vegetables with low potassium vegetables in mixed vegetables to give yourself a taste of your favorites.

Foods and beverages that are high in potassium and high in phosphorus that should especially be limited include: Milk, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and chocolate.