High Phosphorus Foods

• Milk
• Dairy Products
• Dried Beans
• Colas
• Cocoa
• Hot Dogs
• Whole Grain Products
• Peanut Butter
• Waffles
• Pancake Mix
• Biscuit Mix
• Sausage

Remember to always take your phosphorus binders EVERYTIME you eat a meal or snack.  This is VERY important.

Keep Your Bones Healthy

Phosphorus is a mineral found in your bones and along with Calcium, it keeps your bones strong.  When your kidneys fail, eating foods high in phosphorus can cause your blood phosphorus levels to get too high.  This will pull calcium out of your bones and make your bones weak.  Also, if the phosphorus and calcium levels get too high in your blood, your heart, blood vessels and lungs can harden due to calcium deposits.

A safe level to keep your phosphorus is between 4.0 and 5.5.  Dialysis removes very little phosphorus so it is important to limit high phosphorus foods in your diet.

Star Fruit Advisory

Danger!!!

Star fruit or Carambola should not be eaten by anyone on dialysis!

Star fruit contains a toxin that causes:  mental confusion, seizures, hiccups, insomnia, and even death.

Several investigators have reported star fruit intoxication's in patients with chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease.  Studies suggest a neurotoxin may exist in star fruit which can be accumulated in the blood and cause irreversible damage.  The unknown toxin has been found to be non-removable by hemodialysis.

Symptoms may vary and include insomnia, uncontrollable hiccups, agitation, muscle weakness, mental confusion, seizures and cardio-respiratory arrest.  Death has been reported in patients who have eaten one to two fresh fruits.

Because there is no effective treatment, patients with chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease must be warned NOT TO EAT STAR FRUIT...EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS!