Is Low-Sodium Salt Good For Kidney Failure Patients

2015-06-03 08:48

In recent years, since people pay more attention to high blood pressure, low-sodium salt appears on more family’s tables. However, low-sodium diet does not suit for all people. Kidney failure patients need to be careful with low-sodium salt.

The raw material of low sodium salt is sodium chloride and potassium iodate. Besides, low-sodium salt is added a certain amount of potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate so as to balance sodium, potassium and magnesium in the body.

Low sodium salt can reduce the risk for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Thereby, low sodium salt is suitable for middle-aged people and patients with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease.

If kidney disease patients have high blood pressure and swelling, they indeed need to follow a low sodium diet but they are not recommended to eat low-sodium salt.

This is because there is relatively high levels of potassium in low-sodium salt. When kidney function is injured, kidneys cannot expel excess potassium out of the body. Under such a condition, potassium accumulates in the body, causing hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is easy to cause arrhythmia, limb numbness and fatigue. In severe case, high blood potassium can threaten your life and lead to sudden cardiac arrest.

With the further decline of kidney function, it increases the risk for hyperkalemia.

Among kidney failure patients, no matter whether you take dialysis or not, it is very common to see hyperkalemia.

Kidney failure patients know banana, oranges and green vegetables are high potassium foods but they tend to forget low sodium salt is also a high potassium food.

If kidney failure patients eat low-sodium salt, they need to check blood potassium level regularly to avoid hyperkalemia. Therefore, kidney disease patients do not take low-sodium salt for granted as a low sodium diet. They should decide whether they can eat low-sodium salt according to their potassium level and kidney function status as well as the permission from their doctor.

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