Question

What dietary precautions should be observed in IGA nephropathy?

Answer

Hello: The dietary restrictions for kidney disease are as follows:

  1. Prefer light and easily digestible foods, avoid seafood, beef, lamb, spicy and stimulating foods, alcohol, and all kinds of stimulants such as five-spice powder, coffee, and coriander; especially for patients with yin deficiency such as red tongue, large pulse, night sweats, dry stool, and hematuria; but for patients with Yang deficiency such as pale tongue coating white, deep pulse, cold limbs, loose stool, they can eat warm foods.
  2. Prefer fresh vegetables and a moderate amount of fruit, drink appropriate amounts of water; avoid all kinds of supplements and drugs that are easy to cause inflammation such as chili peppers, longan, chocolate. Especially for patients with yin deficiency and internal heat such as purplish tongue, delayed pulse, chest tightness, abdominal distension, and blood stasis.
  3. All patients with kidney disease should stop taking new antibiotics, lincomycin, gentamicin, and aristolochia.
  4. Patients with uremia should maintain regular bowel movements, with 2 to 3 bowel movements per day being appropriate; avoid staying up late at night, control sexual activity, pay attention to rest, and avoid cold exposure.
  5. Those who have been taking corticosteroids should gradually reduce their dosage and frequency under the guidance of a doctor according to their specific situation.
  6. Those with edema should avoid salt and limit the intake of protein foods; those with moderate edema can consume low-sodium salt diet; those without edema or hematuria can consume water and protein foods without restriction; those with microscopic hematuria or those prone to inflammation should drink more water and consume more apples, white sugar, black sesame, and black fungus to nourish yin and reduce inflammation.
  7. Patients with uremia and high blood potassium should avoid high potassium foods such as bananas, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, tea leaves, soy sauce.