Who is a health food such as samgyetang and watermelon, but rather poisonous?
Aug 07, 2025
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The kidneys filter out waste and regulate the balance of moisture and salt in the body. Acute kidney disease, which is usually caused by reduced kidney function by drugs, can be treated without difficulty with fluid treatment. On the other hand, chronic kidney disease is difficult to restore kidney function because the kidney function is poor for more than three months or hematuria and proteinuria are continuously released.
Lee Ji-eun, director of the Department of Nephrology at Incheon Himchan General Hospital, said "It is difficult to notice because there are no symptoms until the kidney function decreases by more than 70%, and once it is broken, it is difficult to recover."If you eat high-protein health food or summer fruits with high potassium content without knowing that your kidney function has declined, it can put a strain on your kidneys."
◇ For kidney disease patients, the dog days samgyetang and watermelon are rather 'poison'
In the hot and humid summer, sweat is discharged from the body and heat is released to maintain body temperature. At this time, you can easily feel tired as moisture and minerals are released together by sweat. Chicken, the main ingredient of Samgyetang, is rich in protein and helps supplement immunity and energy, but high-protein foods are a burden for kidney disease patients.
In healthy people, waste products generated after protein metabolism are discharged through the kidneys without problems. However, eating a high-protein nutrient while kidney function is deteriorated can worsen kidney function during protein metabolism and worsen the disease. Protein intake can put a strain on the kidneys because protein is excreted in the urine through the kidneys when a substance called urea is made as it is digested.
Seasonal fruits such as watermelons and melons, which are enjoyed to replenish moisture in summer, can also be dangerous for kidney disease patients. These fruits are high in potassium, and excessive consumption of potassium while kidney function is poor is likely to cause hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can cause numbness in the hands and feet, muscle paralysis, decreased blood pressure, and arrhythmia, and in severe cases can lead to heart attacks. Therefore, fruits with high potassium content, such as watermelons, melons, tomatoes, plums, and bananas, should be avoided as much as possible. Fruits can be partially reduced in potassium if they are peeled and consumed after being immersed in water for more than 2 hours.
◇ Be careful about fluid intake of kidney disease patients...Excessive drinking of water also causes hyponatremia
Once the kidney is damaged, it is difficult to return to a healthy state, and when the disease progresses and becomes terminal, symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, and vomiting become severe, making daily life difficult. Eventually, you may have to undergo dialysis or transplant for life. Therefore, it is very important to detect and treat the disease early through regular checkups for kidney health. In particular, elderly people should pay more attention, but as of 2023, 81.5% of chronic kidney disease patients are in their 60s or older. After the 40s, kidney function gradually decreases. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure after your 40s, it is good to have a urine test and a kidney function test once a year. In addition, smoking and drinking that worsen kidney function and cause inflammation must be avoided. If the kidney function is poor, it is difficult to discharge sodium, so it is better to make a habit of eating as bland as possible.
Especially in summer, it is recommended to drink 2L of water a day to prevent lack of water due to sweat, but kidney disease patients should also be careful. Patients with decreased kidney function have poor ability to metabolize water, so they cannot properly urinate the water they drank and accumulate it in their bodies. This can cause swelling around the eyes, face, feet, and neck. In addition, excessive moisture accumulates in the lungs, which can cause pulmonary edema, causing difficulty in breathing. Excessive drinking of water can lead to hyponatremia, which lowers sodium levels in the blood, which can cause symptoms such as headaches, muscle cramps, and vomiting, and in severe cases, disorders of consciousness and epileptic seizures.
Lee Ji-eun, director of the center, said "If you drink a lot of water, your kidneys will have to remove unnecessary moisture, so you'll have to do too much work."As diet is the most important thing in kidney health care, it is important to properly consume necessary nutrients such as food and water," he advised.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
