PKD Life - Summer 2023 - 6

EATING WELL
The Scoop
on Whole
Grains
Learn why they're
no longer off-limits
for people with PKD.
By Jessica Brown
W hile it seems like nutrition recommendations
are changing all the time, one classic piece
of general health advice has held up: Eating whole
grains instead of refined grains is better for your
health. But what if you have PKD? Aren't some
people with PKD supposed to limit whole grains and
rely more heavily on refined ones? You may be surprised
to learn that not only are whole grains much
safer for people with PKD than once thought, but
they also provide health benefits that are essential
for avoiding complications of the disease.
6 PKD LIFE * SUMMER 2023
OUTDATED THINKING
" Earlier advice to limit whole
grains, specifically for people
with moderate to advanced
PKD, was based on what
experts thought was sound
logic at the time, " says Nadiya
Lakhani, R.D.N., C.S.R., L.D.,
manager of the nutrition
department and a chronic
kidney disease and transplant
dietitian at Dallas Nephrology
Associates.
When kidney function
declines, potassium and
phosphorus may build up
in the body. High potassium
levels in the blood
can lead to abnormal heart
rhythms, while an imbalance
in phosphorus can cause
bone disorders.
Compared with refined
grains, whole grains do have
higher levels of potassium
and phosphorus. However,
Lakhani says, " research now
shows that these minerals,
when found in whole grains,
are not fully absorbed from
the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
into the bloodstream. You
absorb only 20% to 40% of
the phosphorus from whole
grains, compared with 70% to
80% of the phosphorus from
dairy products. A whopping
90% to 95% of phosphorus
PKD Life - Summer 2023

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