The causes of kidney disease are complex and diverse, including intrinsic kidney diseases and other related disease factors. Intrinsic kidney diseases mainly include glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, polycystic kidney disease, tubulointerstitial diseases, and infectious diseases. Other related disease factors are primarily diabetes and hypertension, while hepatitis B, vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, medications, cardiovascular diseases, and obesity can also affect the kidneys through corresponding pathological changes, leading to kidney lesions. The treatment cycle for kidney disease is long, and often requires the selection of appropriate dietary therapy to assist in treatment. This article selects some simple dietary therapy recipes that can be used based on clinical differentiation.
1. Dietary Therapy for Acute Nephritis
1. Corn Silk Soup: 60g of corn silk (Yu Mi Xu), washed with cold water, add water and boil for 20 minutes, then drink as tea. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly.
2. Maidong and White Grass Soup: 30g of white maidong (Bai Mao Gen) and 30g of motherwort (Yimucao), boiled in water for half an hour, then drink as tea.
3. Red Bean and Winter Melon Soup: 50g of red beans (Chi Xiao Dou) and 50g of winter melon peel (Dong Gua Pi), boiled in water for 40 minutes, drink the soup and eat the beans.
2. Dietary Therapy for Chronic Nephritis
1. Job’s Tears and Astragalus Porridge: 40g of Job’s tears (Yi Yi Ren), 30g of astragalus (Huang Qi) (in a cloth bag), and an appropriate amount of rice, cooked into a thin porridge, consumed daily. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly. This recipe focuses on promoting urination and reducing urinary protein.
2. Three Herbs Soup: 90g each of fresh white maidong, fresh great burdock (Da Ji), and fresh shepherd’s purse (Cai Jian), boiled for 30 minutes, then drink as tea. This recipe has heat-clearing, hemostatic, and diuretic effects, suitable for those with hematuria.
3. Stone Herb Soup: 15g each of small leaf stone herb (Xiao Ye Shi Wei), winter melon peel, and plantago (Che Qian Cao), boiled in water for 30 minutes, drink freely. This recipe helps eliminate small amounts of urinary protein and promotes diuresis and reduces swelling, with significant effects when taken frequently.
4. Celery Summer Drink: 90g of fresh celery (without removing the roots) and 18g of summer grass (Xia Ku Cao), boiled in water for 30 minutes, consumed as tea. This recipe has heat-clearing, anti-inflammatory, and blood pressure-lowering effects, particularly suitable for chronic nephritis with hypertension.
3. Dietary Therapy for Nephrotic Syndrome
1. Astragalus Duck Stew: 60g of fresh astragalus (Huang Qi) and half a fresh duck, stewed until cooked, drink the soup and eat the meat, according to meal size, do not overconsume. This is the amount for 1-2 days for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly. This recipe helps reduce proteinuria and promotes urination.
2. Pig Stomach and Two Herbs Soup: 500g of fresh pig stomach (Zhu Du), 60g of plantago (Che Qian Cao), and 30g of fresh arborvitae leaves (Sheng Ce Bai Ye), stewed until cooked, drink the soup and eat the pig stomach. This recipe has diuretic, anti-swelling effects, and reduces urinary protein and hematuria.
4. Dietary Therapy for Purpura Nephritis
1. Two Thistle Drink: 30g of great thistle (Da Ji) and 30g of small thistle (Xiao Ji), 4g of fresh licorice (Sheng Gan Cao), boiled in water for 30 minutes, add a little white sugar, drink as tea. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly. This recipe has heat-clearing, blood-cooling, and blood-stopping effects, suitable for purpura nephritis with hematuria.
2. Jujube and Honeysuckle Soup: 6 large red dates (Da Hong Zao), 20g of honeysuckle (Jin Yin Hua), and 12g of peony root (Mu Dan Pi), boiled in water for 30 minutes, consumed as tea. This recipe has spleen-strengthening, heat-clearing, blood-cooling, and allergy-relieving effects.
3. Maidong and White Grass Soup: (see Acute Nephritis), can also be consumed. Its main effects are blood-cooling, hemostatic, and anti-allergic.
5. Dietary Therapy for Diabetic Nephropathy
1. Yam Porridge: 500g of fresh yam (peeled and sliced), cooked, and 50g of buckwheat flour (mixed with water to form a paste) cooked together with yam for another 5 minutes, can be eaten freely once the buckwheat is cooked. This recipe can lower blood sugar, urinary sugar, and urinary protein, and can replace part of the staple food.
2. Steamed Euryale: 50g of euryale (Qian Shi) (fresh can use 100g), 30g of yam (fresh can use 60g), and one young rooster. After slaughtering the chicken, clean it, open the abdomen to remove the internal organs, then stuff the euryale and yam into the chicken’s belly, tie it with cotton thread, and steam until cooked. The chicken meat and soup can be consumed. This recipe helps control blood sugar and reduce urinary protein.
3. Pumpkin Porridge: 500g of pumpkin (cut into small pieces) and 30g of millet, cooked into a thin porridge, served with meals. This recipe has blood sugar-controlling and diuretic effects.
6. Dietary Therapy for Gouty Nephropathy1. Winter Melon and Job’s Tears Soup: 500g of fresh winter melon (without peeling) and 50g of Job’s tears, boiled until cooked, drink the soup and eat the winter melon and Job’s tears. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly. This recipe has diuretic and swelling-reducing effects and lowers uric acid.
2. Astragalus and Two Herbs Soup: 50g of astragalus (Huang Qi), 20g of plantago (Bian Xu) (whole herb), and 20g of common bluebell (Qu Mai), boiled in water for 40 minutes, then drink as tea. This recipe has uric acid-lowering, protein-reducing, and diuretic effects.
7. Dietary Therapy for Chronic Kidney FailureCordyceps and Hibiscus Soup: 5g of Cordyceps (Chong Cao) and 2 egg whites, mix the egg whites in a bowl, then add the cleaned Cordyceps into the egg whites, add a little water, steam until cooked. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly. This recipe helps lower blood creatinine and protect kidney function.8. Dietary Therapy for Pyelonephritis
1. Plantago and Carp Soup: 25g of plantago seeds (Che Qian Zi) and 500g of carp (scaled, gilled, and cleaned), stewed until cooked, drink the soup and eat the fish. This recipe has heat-clearing, diuretic, and protein-supplementing effects. This is the daily amount for adults; for children, the amount should be reduced accordingly.
2. Three Leaf Soup: 30g of bamboo leaves (Dan Zhu Ye), 30g of plantago leaves (Bian Xu Ye), and 30g of purslane leaves (Ma Chi Xian) (the above are for dried products; if using fresh products, use 60g each), boiled in water for 40 minutes, drink as tea. This recipe has heat-clearing, urination-promoting, and antibacterial effects.
Source: Nutrition Department, Huang Yan
WeChat Editor: Publicity Department
Reference (Recommended by China Traditional Chinese Medicine Publishing House, content selected from “Du Yumaos Clinical Experience Collection on Kidney Diseases”)
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