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Is dark chocolate OK for kidneys?

Dark chocolate has many health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, improving vascular system function, and reducing total cholesterol and LDL. These significant benefits could reduce chronic kidney disease or kidney failure complications. However, milk chocolate bars can also harm those with kidney disease.

healthmatch.io - How Chocolate Affects The Kidneys - HealthMatch

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If you have kidney disease , you often need to follow a specific diet to help your kidneys function more effectively. This diet might mean giving up some of your favorite foods. Where does chocolate fit into a healthy lifestyle if you have kidney problems?

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The health benefits of chocolate

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which contain cocoa flavanols. These compounds have plenty of medically proven benefits. There are some advantages to adding a little chocolate to your diet if your doctor says it's okay. As with all things, moderation is key. Obtaining those health benefits relies on the type and quality of chocolate you consume. Low-quality chocolate containing high levels of milk, sodium, sugar, and preservatives is far from a healthy option. On the other hand, high-quality dark chocolate containing a high percentage of cocoa (above 85%) offers health benefits if you have kidney disease. Several studies¹ shows that chocolate consumption has neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects. Consuming chocolate can mitigate some kidney disease complications.

So, what are these benefits?

Antioxidant properties

You may have noticed how oxygen affects metal. Over time, the metal rusts and corrodes. Although we need oxygen to live, it can have the same damaging effect on our cells. This is oxidation. Antioxidants are substances that protect your cells from the effects of oxidation. One class of antioxidants is flavonoids,² a polyphenoliccompound. You can find flavonoids in fruits, vegetables, chocolate, and more. Cocoa products have a greater antioxidant capacity and higher amounts of flavonoids per serving than all teas and red wines. These compounds protect against heart disease and atherosclerosis, two major conditions often associated with kidney disease.

Cardiovascular improvements

Dark chocolate provides two major benefits to your cardiovascular system: It lowers blood pressure and cholesterol. For those at risk of heart disease, a 2012 study³ found that daily chocolate consumption was a cost-effective way to reduce the chances of a cardiac event. It reduces total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while lowering blood pressure. These all are important factors in controlling kidney disease. Another randomized controlled trial⁴ investigated the impact of cocoa flavanols (CF) on the cardiovascular system of end-stage kidney disease patients on dialysis. It reported a significant improvement of vascular function by 53% over the short term. When participants took CF-rich supplements for 30 days, the researchers noted an increase in baseline function by 18%. The study reported that the impressive reversal in artery narrowing is comparable with the effects of statins in patients with end-stage kidney disease.

High potassium content

You've probably heard that high sodium/salt intake harms your health. Modern diets contain far too much sodium, making it difficult for the kidneys to remove water. This causes fluid accumulation in the body, eventually leading to hypertension (high blood pressure). Hypertension strains the kidneys, causing or worsening kidney disease. Potassium is an essential mineral that helps the body remove excess sodium from the blood. With a proper potassium-to-sodium ratio, you can limit the negative effects of sodium. Dark chocolate has a surprisingly high potassium content. However, some chocolate snacks also have high sodium levels, so always check the nutritional information.

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What can help?

Tell your GP, doctor, nurse or radiographer about any changes in your bowel habits. They can give advice and support to help manage them. There are medicines available to help with symptoms and control diarrhoea. Your local continence services can assess your bowel problems and offer advice about treatments. The continence service provides care and advice for people with bladder or bowel problems and is usually run by specialist nurses. Ask your GP to refer you. If you have long term bowel problems, ask to be referred to a bowel specialist (gastroenterologist). You may have a further test to check for any damage to the bowel.

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