For years, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were advised to avoid potassium-rich foods such as potatoes, bananas, avocados, and tomatoes due to the risk of hyperkalemia—a potentially life-threatening condition caused by elevated blood potassium. However, emerging research challenges this approach, suggesting that whole foods, including potatoes, can offer significant cardiometabolic and kidney health benefits when managed appropriately.
A growing body of evidence supports the concept of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome, where overlapping risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, and dyslipidemia contribute to the progression of heart, kidney, and metabolic diseases. As a result, dietary patterns like Mediterranean, vegetarian, vegan, and DASH diets—rich in fruits and vegetables—are increasingly recommended to improve outcomes across CKM conditions. Liberalizing potassium intake from whole foods may play a key role in supporting these plant-forward diets.
Potatoes offer valuable nutrients relevant to CKM health. They are a good source of vitamin C (30 percent DV), which is linked to improved blood pressure, reduced cardiovascular risk, and potentially better glycemic control, especially in individuals with diabetes. They also contain vitamin B6 (10 percent DV), associated with improved carbohydrate metabolism and a slower progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and magnesium (11 percent DV), which is critical for blood pressure and glucose regulation and is commonly deficient in T2D. Additionally, each serving contains 2g of dietary fiber (7 percent DV), most of which is found in the skin. Fiber helps regulate glycemia, promote satiety, support gut health, and may reduce CKD progression.
Newer dietary recommendations encourage the consumption of potassium-rich whole foods while focusing on reducing highly bioavailable potassium additives, commonly found in processed and low-sodium foods. Unlike whole foods, additives such as potassium chloride, potassium citrate, and potassium phosphate are almost completely absorbed during digestion and can rapidly raise blood potassium levels. KDIGO 2024 guidelines now suggest prioritizing fresh, unprocessed foods and managing potassium through smarter strategies rather than broad dietary exclusions.
Right: Jenny Heap, author of this article.
Other management tactics include reviewing medications affecting potassium levels, controlling blood glucose, maintaining proper blood acidity (through alkaline foods like fruits and vegetables), and regulating intestinal transit time with high-fiber diets to limit potassium absorption.
For patients requiring further potassium control, simple preparation techniques can significantly reduce the potassium content in potatoes. Methods such as boiling, soaking, and using fresh water can lower potassium by up to 90 percent.
This content was developed in partnership with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association. Information shared in this article is for general educational purposes. Diets for those with CKD should be individualized with the help of a registered dietitian nutritionist who can make recommendations based on an individual's disease state, responsiveness to diet therapy, and other nutritional needs.
For more information:
Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association
Tel: +1 (715) 623-7683
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