Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Polycystic Kidney Disease

If you have any kind of chronic kidney disease, including polycystic kidney disease (PKD), talk with a dietitian about which foods to include in your diet and which foods might be harmful. Find a dietitian who specializes in helping people with kidney disease to help you choose the right foods and plan healthy meals.

A photo of a man and a woman sitting at a table and eating a healthy meal — If you have PKD, following a healthy eating plan can help lower your blood pressure.

PKD may require diet changes to help lower your blood pressure by limiting how much sodium (salt) you eat. Staying hydrated by drinking the right amount of fluid may help slow PKD’s progress toward kidney failure. Eating high-quality protein and smaller portions of protein also can help protect the kidneys. As your kidneys become more damaged, you may need to eat foods lower in phosphorus and potassium. Your health care provider will use lab tests to watch your levels of these minerals.

Learn more about eating right with chronic kidney disease.

Last Reviewed January 2017

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This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.