Banana Nutrition And Kidney Stone Treatment

By | December 26, 2008

Diabetes Complications And Food For Kidney Stones

Bananas are healthy for diabetic patients with kidney complications as long as they are eaten in the recommended amounts. Excessive consumption of a particular food is bad for your health and in the case of bananas, excessive amounts of bananas can cause a potassium overload. The term, “kidney complications” refers to any kidney ailment from a urinary tract infection to kidney failure. Some doctors are of the opinion that banana consumption should be restricted if the kidney ailment is related to failure of the organ. Other kidney complications that do not involve kidney failure can safely consume bananas unless strongly advised not to do so by their health professional. One important kidney function is to extract the superfluous potassium from the blood and excrete it out of the body through the urine. In the event of a kidney failure the kidneys are unable to do the basic functions and hence a build up of potassium can prove to be seriously detrimental to health and sometimes even fatal. Bananas offer a good supply of potassium and hence need to be restricted in the event of kidney failure. Most patients who experience kidney failure are advised to undergo a low- potassium diet to lessen the burden on the kidneys.

Kidney Stone Treatment And Foods For Kidney

However, in the case of urinary tract infections, the kidneys are not compromised in excreting the potassium and hence doctors usually do not recommend against eating bananas in the case of other kidney complications or infections.

According to medical specialists, a daily intake of whole fruits and vegetables, particularly bananas, is extremely protective for kidney health. According to medical research, women consuming more than 3 servings of fruits and vegetables every day reduce their risk of kidney cancer by approximately 40 percent. Bananas contain abundant quantities of antioxidant phenolic compounds which are essential in detoxifying potential carcinogens from the kidneys.

One of the main reasons why some people stay away from bananas is that they are loaded with simple carbohydrates which increase blood sugar levels in a short period of time. Hence it is important to note the serving size of banana and this should ideally be lower than other fruit served such as apples or pears. It is best to eat bananas in restricted quantities but it is not necessary to avoid the fruit all together. Eating fruits such as bananas or mangoes, custard apples, or grapes in restraint or in the recommended quantities, keeping in mind the ideal carbohydrate intake per snack or meal, is likely to be beneficial for people with diabetes and kidney complications.