Foods to Avoid with High Creatinine Level

Creatinine, a type of molecular waste found in the blood, is created by muscle metabolism. It comes from the molecule creatine, which helps build muscle mass. Creatinine is filtered from the blood by the kidneys and expelled from the body in urine. However, people with kidney impairment sometimes cannot properly filter out creatinine.Therefore, creatinine level in blood is usually measured to test kidney function.
1. When elevated creatinine is related to kidney damage, doctors advise decreasing the amount of protein in the diet. Protein, when broken down, creates a waste product called urea. When kidney function is decreased, the body cannot rid itself of the waste and it builds up. Reducing protein in the diet can help decrease the amount of waste produced. Animal proteins are most contributory, such as red meat, chicken and pork. It is advisable to get adequate protein from plant sources, such as soy and legumes.
2. When high creatinine is caused by dehydration, it is important to avoid foods that will further dehydrate the body. Caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea and colas should be replaced with regular water or fruit juice. At least 64 ounces of fluid should be ingested daily.
3. Salted foods also need to be avoided by high creatinine level patients, because eating too much not only elevates blood pressure, trigger fluid rentention, it also increases kidney burden. Therefore, avoiding salted foods like salted eggs, bacon, various sauces, pickles, and salad dressing should not be included in patients' dinning table.
4. When kidneys aren't working well, potassium levels can become too high. This can be serious and even cause sudden heart failure. Potassium is found in many foods, and patients must carefully monitor their potassium intake on a renal diet. They may be asked to limit or eliminate leafy green vegetables, broccoli, bananas, potatoes, oranges and apricots, all of which are high in potassium, and encouraged to choose lower potassium foods including cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, apples, cranberries, grapes and rice.