Short Answer: Avocados are bad for CKD. Because they have potassium and fat and they can increase your blood potassium levels and cholesterol levels.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that affects your kidneys.
In CKD, your kidneys gradually lose their ability to filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood.
This can lead to various health problems, such as high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, poor nutrition, nerve damage, and heart disease.
One of the key factors in managing CKD is diet.
What you consume can affect your blood levels of sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein, which can impact your CKD symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage CKD, you should consume low-sodium foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and unsalted nuts and seeds, and avoid high-sodium foods like processed meats, canned soups, pickles, and salty snacks.
You should also consume low-potassium foods like apples, berries, carrots, rice, and pasta, and avoid high-potassium foods like bananas, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, and avocados.
You should also consume low-phosphorus foods like fresh or frozen meats, eggs, rice milk, and corn, and avoid high-phosphorus foods like dairy products, beans, nuts, seeds, and cola drinks.
You should also consume moderate amounts of high-quality protein like chicken, fish, eggs, and soy, and avoid low-quality protein like red meat, bacon, and hot dogs.
Now, avocados are a type of fruit that have a creamy texture and a mild flavor.
People usually eat them raw, sliced, or mashed, or use them to make guacamole, a dip or spread made with avocados, onions, tomatoes, and spices.
Avocados are bad for CKD because they contain a lot of potassium.
One average-sized avocado provides a whopping 690 mg of potassium, which is about 15% of your daily needs.
Potassium can negatively affect CKD because it can build up in your blood and cause irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, and even cardiac arrest.
That’s why people with CKD are advised to limit their potassium intake to less than 2,000 mg per day .
Avocados are also a type of high-fat food and fat is bad for CKD.
Because, it can increase your cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of heart disease, a common complication of CKD.
That’s why I suggest you limit your avocado intake to avoid high potassium levels and high cholesterol levels.
Stick to one-fourth of an avocado or less per day to minimize these risks.
Also, you shouldn’t eat avocados if you have hyperkalemia, a condition where your blood potassium levels are too high, to prevent serious heart problems.
Because, avocados can worsen your hyperkalemia and put your life in danger .
You can buy fresh avocados in your local market or can order them online.
Always choose avocados that are firm but slightly soft when you squeeze them. Because, they are ripe and ready to eat.
You can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to six months.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing CKD effectively.
I always recommend my CKD patients to follow a CKD-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.