What Foods Should Kidney Cancer Patients Avoid?

Kidneys are the organs in the body that should help individuals filter substances, such as their blood, in their body. However, many conditions can affect an individual's kidney health, including kidney cancer. This can be any cancer that begins in the kidneys. For adults, it seems as if the most common type is renal cell carcinoma. Children appear to be affected by Wilms' tumor the most when it comes to kidney cancer. Thankfully, individuals with kidney cancer seem to be diagnosed fairly early.

Many patients may start with surgery to remove the tumor. Of course, complete kidney removal may be a necessary part of kidney cancer treatment as well. Other options appear to be immunotherapy for kidney cancer and radiation therapy for advanced cases. Some patients may receive treatment to freeze or heat cancer cells to destroy them. They may also need a kidney cancer diet to boost their overall health.

Fast Food

Individuals with kidney cancer may need to avoid eating fast food. Fast foods seem to range in quality, including that some types can be more unhealthy than others. Fast food can have nutrients in it that are beneficial. However, it may also be quite dense in calories. It also appears as if fast food is fairly salt. This is likely where the problem comes from for kidney cancer patients. Salt in fast food can make it taste better, though if individuals consume too much salt, their body's fluid balance may be disrupted.

Individuals do seem to need some salt, since it contains electrolytes. Electrolytes are supposed to help individuals stay hydrated. However, too many electrolytes seem to have damaging effects, just like too few. Specifically, it appears that eating too much salt will often cause an individual's blood pressure to rise. High blood pressure can compromise the kidneys further and at a faster rate. Kidney cancer patients are likely already at a disadvantage with their kidney function, so this will not help them. Thus, they may want to consider avoiding all extra salt, especially what comes from fast food.

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Nuts And Seeds

Many individuals seem to enjoy eating nuts and seeds, even as a small snack occasionally. Nuts and seeds can be quite high in protein, depending on the exact nut that individuals pick. This should help them increase their energy and maintain muscle health. Nuts and seeds, however, appear to have unfortunate effects on kidney cancer patients. This seems to be because of the phosphorous that they contain.

Phosphorus is an electrolyte, and many consider it to be similar to sodium in salt. Individuals do appear to need some of it to maintain bone strength. However, phosphorous can build up in the blood. Kidney cancer patients may not be able to clear it properly. Thus, they may experience issues such as itchy skin, joint pain, and general unwellness. These effects may mean that individuals should consider avoiding eating nuts and seeds if they have kidney cancer.

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Deli Meat

Deli meat also appears to contain a high amount of salt. These meats, after all, are meant for convenience. This means that many individuals may want them to last for longer, so salt is used as a preservative. As mentioned before, however, eating too much salt can cause individuals to develop high blood pressure. This may be a severe issue for individuals who are already having kidney problems, including kidney cancer. Although having small amounts of deli meat in a sandwich occasionally may not be an issue, individuals do not seem to adhere to this.

It looks like most individuals use many slices of deli meat on each sandwich they make, and sandwiches are a convenient lunch option. Thus, while one slice of deli meat can contain 350 milligrams of sodium, individuals will likely consume much more than this. Eating a large roast beef sandwich every day at work, for instance, is not likely going to be healthy. This amount of deli meat can mean they are eating extremely high quantities of salt, even without other aspects of their diet being included. It may also be worth noting that some deli meats can contain nitrates. These preservatives are not healthy for anyone. Kidney cancer patients may be at a particularly high risk of ill effects from them.

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Canned Food

Canned food appears to be another example of individuals with kidney cancer eating too much salt. Similar to deli meat, salt seems to be used in canned food to help preserve it. Individuals want to have convenient food last longer. Of course, many individuals believe that salt in canned food also helps it taste a little better. Thus, as their tastebuds adjust, especially with something like soup and canned vegetables, individuals may find that their food tastes somewhat bland. This can occur even if they compensate with herbs and spices. However, over time, individuals may find that canned food actually becomes too salty.

Kidney cancer patients can start avoiding high-sodium canned food by checking labels in the grocery store. Some brands appear to be creating alternatives that are low in sodium. This can help patients lower how much salt they consume while still having a convenient food option. Of course, individuals may need to read nutrition labels even closer. This is because the sodium listed may only be for one serving, and cans can include up to four servings.

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Processed Cereals

Processed cereals may contain high amounts of phosphorous. This amount may be exceptionally high in processed bran cereal. The phosphorous is likely why individuals with kidney cancer may need to avoid eating processed cereal regularly. After all, phosphorous can affect their kidney function even further than their cancer likely already has. Once again, patients may be experiencing itchy skin and joint pain because of phosphorous building up in their blood.

Avoiding processed cereals can help with this. Instead, individuals may want to look at organic cereal or fresh alternatives. This should mean they contain less phosphorous, which can improve their kidney health. These cereal alternatives may also have more nutrients than processed cereal. If this is the case, individuals may be facing further improvements to their health. This can include consuming less sugar, which is often great for kidney health.