The Takeaway Managing the chronic kidney conditions complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) and immune complex-membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN) may require reducing the sodium, potassium, and phosphorus additives in your diet. Processed foods such as hot dogs and lunch meat contain unhealthy fats and other elements that may cause complications with your C3G or IC-MPGN. Even some foods that are okay in some diets, such as cheese and avocados, may be wise to avoid in a C3G or IC-MPGN diet. Always read labels of the foods you purchase and consume to ensure you are making the right choices, and talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian about the diet that might work best for you.
Packaged Cold Cuts In addition to often containing a lot of sodium, packaged lunch meat and frozen meals often have nitrates added as preservatives or to enhance color and flavor. Nitrates appear naturally in many foods. But nitrate and nitrite exposure from processed meats or drinking water is linked to an increased risk of some cancers and kidney issues, according to research.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295bbd1dfc-72e6-42e1-936e-9fdca94623fbe60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762938338c64-e277-4b43-afab-0b49411cc3b0 As with other foods, check the labels of these packaged foods to see what levels of sodium and preservatives they contain, says Alex Evink, RD , of Michigan Kidney Consultants in Pontiac, Michigan. Not all are bad, but not all are good. “It is eye-opening how much the sodium content varies from product to product,” she says. “If you can read a food label and understand what you’re looking for, then selecting meals and snacks becomes a lot easier.”
Avocados An avocado can be a part of many healthy diets, but it’s also high in potassium, as one avocado contains about 690 mg.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629afa0b4c9-2739-4924-b1e4-3386944a7844 Although nearly all foods contain some amount of potassium, those considered “high potassium” — containing 200 mg or more per serving — can be an issue if you have C3G or IC-MPGN. Your kidneys may not be able to filter out potassium effectively. When potassium builds up in your bloodstream, it can cause hyperkalemia . This condition can lead to an irregular heartbeat, muscle weakness, and even death. High potassium levels also increase your risk of a heart attack. Similar foods include:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762976f5580f-05f9-42d0-9557-5944e2e4317f Bananas Oranges Potatoes Brown rice Whole-wheat bread Nuts Talk to your doctor and healthcare team about how much potassium you should consume per day.
Hot Dogs Hot dogs are processed meats, as are bacon, sausage, and pepperoni. They are often high in sodium, Garden says, which your healthcare team may advise you to limit. Sodium is key to your body maintaining its fluid balance. When you have C3G or IC-MPGN, however, too much sodium can prevent you from removing fluid from the body effectively and can further damage your kidneys. It also can lead to high blood pressure . Although recommendations vary by person, it’s often wise to limit your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams (mg) or less a day. Talk to your doctor about the sodium level that’s right for you.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293e168b64-1ee4-45a0-9810-8a87f16bbf47 In addition to also containing additives and unhealthy fats, ultra-processed foods — or those with primarily artificial ingredients — may increase your risk of kidney disease progressing.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629bad583d8-d915-4867-938b-c61d569ee84b “Patients with more advanced chronic kidney disease should limit high amounts of protein, especially red meat consumption,” says Marc Richards, MD , a clinical nephrologist at Florida Kidney Physicians and director of the Florida Kidney Physicians Glomerulonephritis Center of Excellence in Boca Raton, Florida. Pay attention to food labels, too: “The low- or lower-sodium versions of these foods often still contain phosphate additives and many have potassium chloride added to give them a salty flavor,” Garden says.
Dark Sodas A dark-colored soft drink is not only high in sugar and calories, which can lead to unwanted weight gain, but also contains elements that many people with C3G and IC-MPGN should avoid.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762944359fb1-0364-49b9-ae23-f8ef1d3cda09 “Many contain phosphate additives,” Garden says. Although manufacturers are not required to list amounts of phosphate additives on labels, a can of cola contains 33.5 mg of phosphorus.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629435da2b0-ccb6-4dbe-8a95-1f94727fb02d That alone may not always hurt you — but drinking multiple cans in addition to the food you’re normally consuming can easily give your body a lot of phosphorus to absorb.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c450638f-894c-4a78-9daa-0a7cec5e1fbb
Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: What to Eat (and Avoid) When Living With IgA Nephropathy or C3GHarvard Health Publishing: Nitrates in Food and Medicine: What’s the Story?Mayo Clinic: Low Phosphorus Diet: Helpful for Kidney Disease?National Kidney Foundation: Phosphorus and Your CKD DietUCLA Health: Potassium in Kidney Disease
Fast-Food Burgers Fast foods such as burgers, fries, and fried chicken are often high in sodium and unhealthy fats, and they often include added phosphorus.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976291dccd977-9be6-42d8-b26a-fd99b47c2d32e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629865a8de1-5a42-4472-a89a-6745d00191ec If your kidneys are not functioning well, this phosphorus can build up in your bloodstream and cause complications.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299e7f620d-8e04-4586-bf74-90e48b2db9ec “For all patients with kidney insufficiency, I would recommend avoiding foods that are heavily processed and full of sodium as this can worsen blood pressure and leg swelling,” Dr. Richards says.
Canned Soup A can of turkey soup can provide 2,080 mg of sodium, coming close to the recommended daily maximum of 2,300 mg of sodium per day for healthy adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297a786458-ea08-4e07-928e-3ad614b4dcf9e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293d73b910-e56a-4957-9635-f4c1ef41f527 That’s also well above the 1,500 mg maximum typically recommended for people with kidney disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c93f9ab8-4bb0-4ed1-8702-ce6effacea24 Some broths or varieties of ramen can include the same amount, Garden says. “These are sodium bombs, packing in a full day’s worth of sodium in one serving,” she says.
American Cheese Slices Processed cheese products such as cheese slices, boxed macaroni and cheese, and cheese dips can last longer in your refrigerator and pantry than fresh cheese. “But they are usually high in sodium and phosphate additives,” Garden says. These products also rely on phosphorous, in the form of added phosphates, to make the cheese texture smoother and creamier and make it easier to slice.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762914ee544c-07ad-4b6e-8d17-b1a40f51a8f2 Your body absorbs phosphate additives more easily than phosphorus found naturally in food, and they can build up in your blood.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629133d9618-66f5-41b8-9a29-f870c01ef341 Try to limit foods with “phos” in the ingredients, especially if several of them are listed on the label. These include sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and phosphoric acid.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762903439b78-2e51-44ac-a6cd-cae74d59f7cf
A healthy diet is key to managing complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) and immune complex-membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (IC-MPGN). “Diet is an important part of managing C3G/IC-MPGN for many reasons,” says Beverly Garden, RD, a nutritionist in private practice in Pennsylvania. “It can help control blood pressure, prevent fluid buildup, support heart health, promote a healthy weight, and lower the workload on the kidneys.” Along with lifestyle changes, the right foods and beverages can help supplement your medications and other treatments for C3G and IC-MPGN to slow progression of the chronic kidney diseases and avoid complications.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629128fc2e9-c6f5-452e-95b4-e4e9ece8a969e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762913c51c54-df87-41ed-be9f-8010969b8a47 Just as important, however, is avoiding the food and drink items that can cause complications or worsen your condition. default
Soy Sauce “Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, commercial salad dressings, and gravy can be very high in sodium and contain phosphate additives,” Garden says. The ingredients of these items can vary considerably, but many commercial sauces are also high in sugar and unhealthy fats.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762958a9c757-1685-4644-8bf6-6de9421b838d Reading labels is important to help you choose the healthiest options.
Potato Chips Many snacks such as potato chips, cheese puffs, salted pretzels, tortilla chips, and some types of crackers are all high in sodium.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629546fbf6c-9387-4f63-b9ae-4e9ab6fed9a7 “It can be challenging to choose a snack, as many are packaged, processed, and contain high amounts of sodium and phosphates,” Richards says. In addition, Garden says you should limit or avoid highly processed “protein” snacks when you have C3G or IC-MPGN. “Most jerky, meat sticks, and some protein bars are high in salt and additives,” she says. “Doughnuts, packaged cakes, cookies, and pastries also often contain high amounts of added sugar and unhealthy fats and additives.”