If you have a kidney problem, or you want to make sure you avoid having one in the future, you have to eat food that keeps your kidneys healthy.

The intention of this article is to provide information on a sensible diet for people with kidney problems - whether you currently have a kidney problem, or hope to avoid having one in the future. The information in this article will also help anyone who takes care of someone who has kidney problems, or has to plan meals everyday for such an individual.

Diet and nutrition play a big role in managing a kidney problem. Your food choices depend on a number of health factors, including the following.

• The current condition of your kidneys

• Your overall state of health, including any chronic conditions or disorders.

• Your BMI, or body mass index or BMI (the kidneys of obese people have to work harder).

There are five types of food that deserve special attention when planning a diet for people with kidney problems.

Salt or Sodium

Everyone needs a certain amount of sodium (salt) in their diet. In fact it's essential to life itself because sodium influences a number of critical metabolic functions. It helps us maintain fluid balances, control our muscles, and regulate blood pressure.

But many people eat way more salt than they should. Some don't realize that many of the prepackaged and processed foods that are so convenient are packed with sodium - it's not just the salt that comes out of the shaker on the dinner table.

Normal kidneys remove excess sodium from your body by filtering it out of your bloodstream. This process breaks down when you have a kidney problem - the kidney allow salt to begin accumulating.

As a result, there's a fluid build up in the body which causes bloating and usually appears first in the joints and the face.

Anyone who has reason to think they might have a kidney problem should avoid making the following foods a big part of their diet:

• pre-packaged dinner mixes

• potato chips and salty snacks

• salted nuts

• meat that has been processed, like cold cuts

• cheese

• Soups that come from a can, a dehydrated package, or broth made with bouillon cubes

• canned vegetables

• bacon

It also helps to use the salt shaker lightly - if at all - during all meals.

Protein

Everyone needs protein, but eating too much of it is particularly hard on the kidneys. A diet that contain a lot of protein can strain your kidneys by creating more metabolic waste than they can handle efficiently.

Meat and poultry products, including eggs, contain a lot of protein. Vegetables and grains typically include little or no protein.

Potassium

Potassium is important to nerve and muscle health. Too much potassium in your diet, however, can lead to an irregular heartbeat. Most of the food you eat contains some level of potassium.

So if you have a kidney problem, you have to educate yourself about the amount of potassium in foods you consume.

Some foods contain a lot of potassium, and you should watch how much of them you eat. Examples include apricots, bananas, beets, bran & bran products, broccoli, cantaloupe, chocolate, and coffee.

Phosphorus

Like potassium, phosphorus helps maintain normal nerve and muscle performance. It combines with calcium to build strong bones and teeth.

Kidney problems will sometimes alter your phosphorus balances - and not in a good way. Calcium levels become lower, and your body compensates by robbing calcium from the bones.

But having too much phosphorus isn't healthy either. It causes itchy skin, joint pain, and brittle bones.

You'll find relatively high levels of phosphorus in foods like nuts and peanut butter, caramel, and liver (both beef and chicken). Also be aware that certain drinks contain high phosphorus levels too, including beer and cola.

Fluids

Filtering fluids is one of the most important jobs of the kidneys. Someone with a kidney problem has challenges in this area. So, it's important to watch your fluid intake carefully as part of a healthy kidney diet.

Excess fluid consumption will trigger swelling, high blood pressure and shortness of breath.

This is an area for discussion with your doctor.

It's important to remember that some fluids start out as solids and then melt into liquids in your stomach. Ice cream leads the list here.

Anyone who has a serious kidney problem - or wants to avoid one - needs to be maintain a healthy, kidney-friendly diet.

If a kidney fails, or kidney function is seriously compromised, your only options are kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant. Maintaining a diet designed for people with kidney problems today will will make it less likely that you've ever have to make such choices in the future.