Do Patients With PKD Avoid Eating Bananas

2014-11-17 03:24

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is an inherited kidney disease in which multiple cyst grow in the kidneys. With their growth, they may oppress kidney tissues and do damages on kidneys. When kidney function declines, the kidneys cannot perform their functions well including regulating blood pressure, filtering wastes from the blood, producing urine and maintaining normal fluid and electrolyte levels. This will lead to abnormal levels of fluid, potassium and other things to accumulate in the bloodstream. Banana is a high potassium food, so PKD patients are not recommended to eat too much banana.

Kidney dysfunction and potassium

The kidneys filter wastes out of the blood and excrete them from the body in the urine. Filtration occurs in the nephrons, which is made up of tubules and a glomerulus. The glomerulus keeps cells and normal proteins in the circulatory system, and filters wastes and excess water out of the blood and into the urine. During this process, the kidneys return electrolytes like sodium and potassium to the bloodstream. In this condition, the amount of potassium and other substances in the body will be kept in balance. However, when kidneys are damaged, they do not filter wastes efficiently, and waste products pile up in the blood. When waste products accumulate, the kidneys do not regulate electrolyte level properly. As a result, a high levels of potassium in the blood, also known as hyperkalemia, occur.

Dangers of high potassium or hyperkalemia

Slightly high potassium levels do not cause any symptoms, but severe hyperkalemia will lead to fatigue, irregular heartbeat, tingling, weakness and numbness. If left untreated, it will cause paralysis and death. Therefore, PKD and other kidney disease patients should lower elevated potassium level and avoid food with high potassium. Banana is one of foods with elevated potassium level.

Apart from banana, high-potassium foods such as potatoes, bananas, oranges, dried peas, tomatoes and dairy products should be limited properly.

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