Starting this month, look for special PKD nutrition blogs and recipes from renal dietitian Emily Campbell in our monthly newsletter.

A bit about Emily: She is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with a master’s degree in foods and nutrition from Western University. Emily specializes in renal nutrition, helping those with kidney disease overcome the confusing world of nutrition, to promote health and make nutrition changes. Emily lives in Toronto, Ontario and can be found at kidneynutrition.ca.

Why Fluids are Important

Your kidneys keep the fluid levels in your body balanced. But with PKD, drinking enough fluids also helps with:

• Lowering vasopressin, a hormone that makes cysts grow. Drinking enough fluids reduces cyst formation.
• Reducing the risk of kidney stones, which are common with PKD.
• Preventing dehydration, which can harm your kidneys and lower kidney function.

How Much Should You Drink?

Fluids include water and other drinks like coffee, tea, and soups. Drinking 2-3 litres (about 8-12 cups) per day is generally recommended for PKD. But this amount can change depending on your personal needs, medications, and health. Talk with your kidney doctor (nephrologist) or renal dietitian to find out what's best for you.

Drinking too much water can sometimes cause low sodium levels in your blood, called hyponatremia. Just like with anything, drinking too little or too much isn’t good.

How much is 3 litres? It's about 12 cups or 96 ounces per day. For comparison, most Canadian adults should drink around 2.7 litres per day (women) and 3.7 litres per day for men. So the PKD recommendation isn't too different from general guidelines.

Which Fluids to Drink?

Water should be your main fluid. Aim for 2-3 litres (8-12 cups) daily. But other fluids count too.

• Tea and coffee: Limit these to about 2 cups per day. If you have kidney stones, limit black teas (like Orange Pekoe or Earl Grey) to just 1 cup per day, as they contain oxalates. Limit sweeteners to honey or maple syrup, and if you use creamers, choose ones with no phosphorus additives in the ingredient list.
• Sugary drinks: Limit sugar-sweetened beverages like juice or pop for your overall health.
• Alcohol: Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol can raise blood pressure and speed up kidney damage. Check with your doctor first, as alcohol may affect your medications. You can read more about Canada’s low-risk alcohol guidelines here.

How Much is 3 Litres?

Three litres of fluid is about 12 cups per day. For comparison, Canadian adults should drink around 2.7 litres per day for women and 3.7 litres per day for men. So, PKD recommendations aren't much different from general advice.

Tips to Drink Enough

• Flavour your water: Add natural flavours like strawberries, mint, cucumber, lemon, or lime.
• Try carbonated water: Plain sparkling water is fine occasionally, as long as it's unsweetened.
• Measure it: Use a water bottle to track your daily fluid intake.
• Routine helps: Drink water when you wake up, at meals, and after using the bathroom.
• Track it: Apps like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal can help you monitor your intake.

Drinking enough fluids helps manage your PKD and keeps your kidneys healthier. Always check with your healthcare team to see how much fluid is right for you.

More

• Find a number of kidney-friendly beverage recipes in this blog post.
• Looking for more information about what to eat with PKD? Check out Love Your Kidneys, a PKD cookbook and nutrition guide written especially for people with PKD.
• Watch one of Emily's webinar or PKD Summit recordings on the topic of Nutrition and PKD here, or 
• Browse through Emily's Kidney Nutrition blogs on our website.

About the Author

Emily Campbell, RD CDE MScFN is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with a Master’s Degree in Foods and Nutrition. Emily specializes in renal nutrition, helping those with kidney disease overcome the confusing world of nutrition to promote health. Emily can be found at kidneynutrition.ca.