Eating Lemon in Chronic Kidney Disease: Is it SAFE or Not?

Short Answer: Lemon water is good for chronic kidney disease. Because it has vitamin C, antioxidants, and citric acid, and they can boost your immune system, prevent oxidative stress and damage, and prevent kidney stones.

Chronic kidney disease is a condition that affects your kidneys, which are the organs that filter your blood and remove excess fluids and waste products.

In chronic kidney disease, your kidneys are damaged and unable to perform their normal functions.

This can lead to various health problems, such as high blood pressure, anemia, bone disease, heart disease, and fluid buildup.

One of the key factors in managing chronic kidney disease is diet.

What you consume can affect your electrolytes, which are minerals that help balance the fluids and pH in your body. Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium.

To effectively manage chronic kidney disease, you should consume foods that are low in sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein, and high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Some examples of foods that are good for chronic kidney disease are lemon, cabbage, and blueberries.

You should avoid foods that are high in sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein, such as bananas, dairy products, and processed meats.

Now, lemon water is a drink that is made by squeezing lemon juice into water. They usually drink it as a refreshing beverage or as a detox drink.

One cup of lemon water (240 ml) can give you about 31 mg of vitamin C (34% of your daily needs), 9 mg of calcium (1% of your daily needs), 49 mg of potassium (1% of your daily needs), 1 mg of sodium (0% of your daily needs), 0.1 g of protein (0% of your daily needs), 0 g of fat (0% of your daily needs), 3 g of carbohydrates (1% of your daily needs), 1 g of sugar (2% of your daily needs), 0 g of fiber (0% of your daily needs), and 12 calories.

Lemon water is good for chronic kidney disease because it contains vitamin C, antioxidants, and citric acid.

Vitamin C can boost your immune system and protect your kidneys from inflammation and infection.

Antioxidants can prevent oxidative stress and damage to your kidneys.

Citric acid can prevent the formation of kidney stones by binding with calcium in your urine.

Furthermore, lemon water is a low-sodium drink and low-sodium drinks are good for chronic kidney disease.

Because they help control your blood pressure and fluid balance.

You can drink up to four cups of lemon water per day safely. More than that can cause nausea, diarrhea, or vomiting due to too much vitamin C consumption.

Also, you shouldn’t drink lemon water if you have ulcers or gastritis to prevent irritation or bleeding. Because lemon water is acidic and can aggravate these conditions.

You can buy fresh lemons in your local market or order them online.

Always choose lemons that are firm, bright yellow, and heavy for their size.

Because they have more juice and flavor. You can store them at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management, is key to managing chronic kidney disease effectively.

I always recommend my chronic kidney disease patients to follow a chronic kidney disease-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.

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About the Author

Abdur Rahman Choudhury

Abdur Rahman Choudhury is a nutritionist in West Bengal, India, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

He has done his diploma in nutrition from Fabulous Body Inc (US), and completed various certification courses from several universities. He also has considerable research experience in PCOS.

Abdur currently lives in India and keeps fit by weight training and eating mainly home-cooked meals.

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