When we suffer from kidney failure, our kidneys cannot function properly. Once diagnosed with this ailment, we must follow our doctor’s guidelines so that the disease does not worsen. Among many other factors, we must pay attention to our diet, both in terms of the foods that we must prioritize and those that we must avoid because they are not recommended for said ailment. Thus, in this FastlyHealarticle, we will detail the prohibited foods for kidney failure and other details, such as the symptoms and treatment of this disease.
Table of Contents
Types of kidney failure and their causes
It is good that, in addition to knowing aspects such as what to eat and what not to eat when suffering from specific health problems, we also learn a little more about the issues themselves. For example, there are two types of kidney failure, depending on how long it lasts:
- Acute renal failure: this is the case in which more urgency is indicated since it is the rapid loss of normal function of the kidneys. It occurs when the kidneys reduce their functioning significantly in a few hours or less than two days. Therefore, in a short time, there is no longer a proper cleaning of residues, such as urea, fats, and others, accumulating in the body and producing intoxication.
- Chronic kidney failure: in this case, correct function is slowly lost. The kidneys fail their capacity little by little, which causes the same problem mentioned above, but accumulation and intoxication occur progressively over time. Another aspect is that the symptoms may appear suddenly and are already severe when these organs practically no more extended function.
Symptoms of kidney failure
It is necessary to know the possible symptoms of kidney failure to recognize that something is not going well in our body and, thus, go to the doctor as soon as possible so that he can check us, diagnose us, and we can start treatment. Therefore, these are the main symptoms of acute renal failure :
- Swelling and edema in the extremities and, over time, throughout the body.
- Loss of sensation in hands and feet.
- Sickness.
- Hi.
- Halitosis or bad breath.
- Metallic taste in the mouth.
- Lack of appetite.
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Blood in the stool.
- High blood pressure or hypertension.
- Decreased urine output and urinating, especially at night.
- Alteration of the mental state.
Instead, these are the main symptoms of chronic kidney failure :
- Headache.
- Bad breath or halitosis.
- Sickness.
- Morning vomiting
- Being very thirsty
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Weightloss.
- Trouble sleeping well
- Loss of sexual desire
- Interruption of the menstrual cycle.
- Blood in the stool.
- Dry and itchy skin.
Treatment for kidney failure
The treatment of renal failure indicates the physician will provide the following guidelines:
- Take a healthy and adequate diet to this problem, knowing what to eat and what foods are harmful.
- Reduce your intake of foods that contain protein, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. The specialist can even prescribe drugs to lower blood levels if they are already high.
- Reduce the daily fluid that is taken in order not to strain the kidneys.
- Dialysis and antibiotics when the doctor, the nephrologist, recommends it in each case. You always have to follow the specialist’s instructions and never self-medicate.
- Stop habits that intoxicate the body, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.
- Take care of blood pressure to, in this way, reduce hypertension if it has already appeared as a symptom of this kidney disease or to prevent it from occurring.
- Reduce bad cholesterol if you have it and try to prevent it from appearing if you do not already have it.
- Reduce or altogether avoid the consumption of sugars.
List of prohibited foods for kidney failure
The doctor is the one who will best tell you what foods you can eat and which ones to avoid in this case. However, we indicate an indicative list of foods harmful to kidney failure below. The doctor may suggest some other food as prohibited or that some of those mentioned below, in some cases its consumption is not so serious. These are mainly diuretic foods, which would strain the kidneys too much, and foods with specific nutrients that can be harmful because they accumulate in the form of waste when these organs do not function well. Thus, these foods should be avoided in case of kidney failure:
Fruits and nuts
- Bananas
- Grenades
- Avocados
- Coco
- Kiwis
- Albaricoques
- Loquats
- Oranges
- Cantaloupe
- Watermelon
- Grapes
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Dates
- Raisins
- Peanuts
- Pinions
Vegetables, vegetables, and mushrooms
- Spinach
- Courgettes
- Mushrooms
- Potatoes
- Tomato (mainly canned fried tomato)
- Chard
Meat, fish, and dairy
- Bacon
- Sausages
- Sausages
- Bacon crusts
- Salmon
- Seafood
- Cheese of any kind
- Whole milk
It is also essential that we avoid bagged snacks since they have a high salt content that is harmful to our diet to take care of the kidneys. The same happens with fast food, and we should also avoid consuming canned foods since they are high in salt. On the other hand, we can have homemade preserves made without added salt. For this same reason, we should avoid using bouillon cubes and pre-cooked soups; they are very salty.
We must also reduce and eliminate trans fats, so it is necessary not to consume products such as industrial pastries or prepared food, which usually have a high content of these substances.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Prohibited foods for kidney failure, we recommend that you enter our Kidneys and urinary system category.

I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.