Your kidneys filter waste and extra fluid from your blood, control blood pressure, and help keep your body healthy. If you have polycystic kidney disease (PKD), choosing the right foods can help protect your kidneys and slow down the disease.

A kidney-friendly diet that is personalized to our unique needs based on our blood and urine results, lifestyle and activity needs, plus other health conditions, can help. Here are some easy tips on what to eat and drink if you have PKD, no matter what stage you're in.

Water

Drinking enough fluids helps your kidneys work better and reduces vasopressin, the hormone responsible for cyst growth. It can also help lower the risk of kidney stones, which are a common complication of PKD.

Most people with PKD are encouraged to try drinking about 2 to 3 litres each day, unless your healthcare team advises differently. If your kidney function has declined, you may be advised to limit your fluid intake.

Choose: Water, herbal tea, black coffee or tea (no more than 2 cups a day).

Limit: Sugary drinks like pop or juice.

Plant-based Proteins

Including more plant-based proteins can help manage blood pressure, urine pH (to prevent kidney stones), the workload on our kidneys with PKD, and lower cholesterol, which is another complication of PKD.

If your kidney function has declined, you’re on dialysis, or you’ve had a transplant, your protein needs may change. Talk to a dietitian who specializes in kidney disease to find the right amount. Too much protein can harm your kidneys, but too little can lead to weight and muscle loss, or even malnutrition.

• If you have PKD, aim for about 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day.
• If your kidneys aren't working as well, your dietitian may suggest eating less protein to protect your kidneys.
• If you're on dialysis, you will likely need more protein because dialysis removes some from your body.
• If you've had a kidney transplant, you might need extra protein for the first few months to help you heal. After that, your dietitian will help you choose the right amount.

Choose: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, nuts, and seeds.

Limit: Too much red meat or processed meat.

Vegetables and Fruits

Eating fruits and vegetables can help keep blood pressure down, lower protein in urine, and can prevent kidney stones. They also give your body fibre, which helps digestion and heart health.

Men aged 19 to 50 need about 38 grams of fibre each day, and women aged 19-50 need about 25 grams. Fibre helps keep your digestion regular, lowers inflammation, and is good for your heart.

Try to eat at least 5 servings of vegetables or fruits every day. A good rule is to fill half your plate or snack with vegetables or fruits. Eating different colours and types helps you get more nutrients.

Choose: Try eating different fruits and vegetables every day. If you need to watch potassium levels, tracking your potassium intake can help you to include a variety of foods and feel less deprived. Ask a dietitian who specializes in kidney disease how to safely include your favourite foods.

Limit: grapefruit if you are on medications such as Jinarc (tolvaptan), starfruit if you have reduced kidney function.

Heart-Healthy Fats

Choosing healthy fats helps your heart and kidneys. Aim for fats to make up less than 30% of your calories, and choose low amounts of saturated fats.

Choose: Olive or canola oil, avocados, seeds (like flax, pumpkin or sunflower), nuts (like walnuts, cashews, pecans).

Limit: Foods with more than 5% daily value of saturated fat per serving. Check food labels to see this. Also, avoid food with more than 0g trans fat on the nutrition facts label, and foods with lots of fat from animals, like milk or cheese that have more than 10% milk fat (M.F.). Choose lower-fat options instead (e.g. milk or yogurt with 2% or less M.F., or cheese with 20% or less M.F.).

Low Sodium

Too much salt (sodium) can increase your blood pressure and vasopressin, making your PKD progress quicker. Aim to eat less than 2300 mg of sodium (LINK ) per day (or less 2000 mg per day, based on the new PKD guidelines from KDIGO). Read food labels, reduce salt when you cook, and eat at home more often to reduce your sodium intake.

Choose: foods with 5% daily value or less for sodium per serving on the nutrition facts table, foods with “no sodium” or “low sodium” nutrient content claims, fresh herbs or spices instead of premade mixes, homemade condiments or sauces instead of storebought.

Limit: salted or cured foods, processed cheese, pickled vegetables, and regular-sodium foods like sauces or canned soups.

Food for Thought

Eating foods that are good for your kidneys can help slow down PKD and improve your overall health. It's important to talk to a dietitian or your healthcare team before making big diet changes, to help tailor any changes to your personal situation.

Small changes can make a big difference for your kidneys and help you feel better. Remember, your goal is progress, not perfection. Start today by trying easy, kidney-friendly foods and recipes, like this tasty Minestrone soup.

Easy Recipe to Try: Minestrone Soup

Here's a delicious recipe that's good for your kidneys!

Ingredients

2 TBSP olive oil
2 medium white onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, washed, peeled and chopped
3 medium stalks celery, washed and chopped

½ tsp black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz diced tomatoes, no added salt

15 oz chickpeas, no added salt, drained and rinsed
1 cup green beans, cut pieces
6 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
3 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp thyme, dried
1 cup whole grain rotini pasta

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, black pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, green beans, broth, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 more minutes, until the pasta is cooked through. Then enjoy.

Nutrition information (per serving): 229.4 calories, 5.3 g total fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 224 mg sodium, 8.2 g protein, 39.4 g carbohydrate, 8.7 g fibre, 643.4 mg potassium.

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 helping those with kidney disease overcome the confusing world of nutrition to promote health. Emily can be found at kidneynutrition.ca.

More

• 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.