When it’s cold, people love to eat hotpot when they get together, but be careful of these 4 major health risks that can damage your kidneys! Doctor: 5 tips for eating hot pot healthily

Hot pot is one of the favorite foods of many people, especially in cold weather or at dinner parties, sitting around the stove is both warm and adds to the atmosphere. However, hot pot ingredients are rich and varied, and often contain high levels of sodium, protein, potassium, and phosphorus, which may increase the burden on the kidneys when consumed in excessive amounts. Especially for patients with impaired renal function or chronic kidney disease, these nutrients in hot pot may cause or aggravate health problems. While enjoying delicious food, it is very important to understand and master the correct eating methods.

1. Four common health risks of hot pot

1. Effects of high sodium levels on the kidneys

Hot pot soup base is usually made from a variety of high-salt seasonings, soy sauce, hot pot base, etc., which makes the sodium content of hot pot very high. For the average person, the World Health Organization recommends that daily sodium intake should not exceed 2 grams (equivalent to about 1 teaspoon of salt, about 5 grams of salt), but the sodium content in hot pot often far exceeds this standard. Excessive sodium intake not only easily leads to water and sodium retention in the body and increases blood pressure, but also increases the filtration pressure on the kidneys. For patients with kidney disease, excessive sodium can lead to further deterioration of kidney function, and may also cause edema and high blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a light soup base, such as clear soup pot or bone soup base, and avoid heavy-flavored spicy soup base or kimchi soup base.

2. Effects of high protein intake

The main ingredients in hot pot are high-protein meat, seafood and soy products, and the metabolic waste of protein (such as urea and creatinine) needs to be excreted by the kidneys. Healthy kidneys can effectively process these wastes, but for people with decreased renal function, excessive protein intake can increase the burden on the kidneys and cause metabolic waste to accumulate in the blood. Patients with renal insufficiency should avoid excessive protein intake and should control protein intake within 40 to 60 grams per day (about 2 to 3 palm-sized portions of eggs, beans and fish). Especially processed meats such as hot pot meatballs and sausages, these foods not only have high protein content, but may also contain more salt and additives, which are more harmful to the kidneys. You can give priority to high-quality protein, such as eggs, tofu, fish, etc., and pay attention to the total protein intake of each meal to control the protein burden.

3. Hidden dangers of high potassium and high phosphorus

There are rich choices of side dishes in hot pot, such as green leafy vegetables, beans, mushrooms, kelp and other foods rich in potassium and phosphorus. Normal kidney function can excrete excess potassium and phosphorus through urine, but patients with decreased renal function may have excessive phosphorus and potassium in the body due to potassium and phosphorus metabolism disorders. Hyperkalemia can cause arrhythmia or even cardiac arrest; excessive phosphorus intake can lead to an imbalance in calcium-phosphorus metabolism, causing bone diseases such as osteoporosis and joint pain. Therefore, kidney disease patients should pay special attention to ingredients high in potassium when choosing hot pot side dishes, such as spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and soy products, try to consume them in moderation, and avoid hot pot with bone soup base, because the phosphorus content in these soup bases is usually high.

4. Effects of high oil and saturated fat

Common ingredients in hot pot, such as fatty beef, fatty lamb slices and fried meatballs, contain a lot of fat, especially saturated fatty acids. High-fat foods not only increase body weight and cholesterol levels, but may also cause metabolic syndrome and increase the risk of kidney disease. For people who have a heavy burden on their kidneys or are at risk of cardiovascular disease, it is recommended to choose low-fat ingredients such as lean meat, skinless chicken, fish and shrimp, and avoid eating fried foods and meat with high fat content to reduce the extra burden on the kidneys.

2. 5 tips for eating hot pot healthily

In order to better enjoy the deliciousness of hot pot without affecting kidney health, it is recommended to refer to the following eating methods:

1. Choose clear or low-sodium soup base

Try to choose a light base such as clear soup, bone broth or vegetable broth, and avoid spicy or overly seasoned bases. You can add some water-rich vegetables such as white radish and winter melon to the hot pot to help absorb the oil and salt in the soup base. You can also prepare low-salt base materials yourself to reduce sodium intake and thus reduce the burden on your kidneys.

2. Control protein intake

When eating hot pot, pay attention to the appropriate amount of protein intake, and give priority to high-quality protein, such as skinless chicken, fish, tofu, etc., rather than large amounts of red meat or processed meat products. At the same time, control the daily intake of protein ingredients to around 50-100 grams. If you have renal insufficiency, you should reduce your protein intake to 40-60 grams per day to avoid excessive intake.

When eating hot pot, pay attention to the appropriate amount of protein intake, and give priority to high-quality protein, such as skinless chicken, fish, tofu, etc., rather than large amounts of red meat or processed meat products.

3. Less oil and less salt for seasoning

When choosing a dipping sauce, you can try light seasonings such as balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, etc., and avoid high-salt seasonings such as soy sauce, peanut butter, shacha sauce, etc. In addition, try not to soak food in the hot pot soup base for a long time to avoid absorbing too much oil and salt.

4. Reduce high potassium and high phosphorus foods

Patients with chronic kidney disease need to restrict their intake of potassium and phosphorus. For hot pot side dishes, you can choose vegetables with low potassium and phosphorus content, such as cucumbers and winter melon, avoid foods with high potassium content such as spinach, mushrooms, and beans, and reduce the use of bone broth and offal ingredients.

5. Drink more water and reduce soup intake

Drink more boiled water when eating hot pot to help the kidneys dilute and excrete excess sodium and metabolic waste. Do not overdrink hot pot soup base, especially thick soup that has been cooked for a long time, because it may contain high levels of sodium and purine, which can easily put a burden on the kidneys.

Conclusion

Although hot pot is delicious, it poses certain risks to kidney health, especially for patients with chronic kidney disease or impaired renal function. Controlling the intake of sodium, protein, potassium and phosphorus in hot pot can not only help protect kidney health, but also prevent cardiovascular disease and bone health problems. Through reasonable dietary choices and healthy eating habits, everyone can effectively reduce the burden on the kidneys and maintain good health while enjoying hot pot food.