12 Vegetables to Improve Kidney Function and Detox Your Body

I'm Dr. Frita. I'm a board-certified kidney doctor, and today, I'm giving you 12 vegetables to help improve kidney function and detox your body. Kidney disease is probably more common than most people think. Over 37 million Americans have kidney disease and most don't even know it. And that's because early on, kidney disease can be silent, meaning you don't have obvious signs or obvious symptoms. In this case, people can be walking around with kidney disease and have no idea. That's why it's important that you consult with your physicians.

One of the toughest things about my job is when I meet people in the office after they have already progressed to late-stage kidney disease, and after I talk to them and start educating them, many tell me, "Dr. Frita, I wish I would've met you earlier because I didn't know that there were things that I could do to prevent my kidney failure or to improve my kidney function." Well, guess what? There are.

Now, in many cases, people do have certain genetic kidney diseases that they don't have much control over, but even then, there are things that could be done to slow down the progression of kidney disease or in some cases, to even improve kidney health. So let's do what we can to take things into our own hands. Let's use food as medicine, and that's what we're doing today because I'm giving you 12 vegetables that can help to improve the function of your kidneys and detox your body.

12 Vegetables to Improve Kidney Function

1. Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and arugula are definitely great for your kidney health. They're loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. They also have magnesium and iron. Another great thing is that they're low in potassium, which is good for patients who have late-stage kidney disease.

Detox Benefits of Leafy Green Veggies

Another great thing about leafy green vegetables is that they're loaded down with fiber, which is great for your digestive system. The fiber is also good for helping to manage blood sugar levels. We know that's important in kidney disease because diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure.

Leafy green vegetables can also help detoxify your body, and this is how. They contain chlorophyll, which binds to toxins and helps them get eliminated through the liver and the kidneys. These vegetables also are loaded with antioxidants, which reduce oxidative stress in your body.

How To Add Green Leafy Vegetables To Your Diet

You already know, you've been doing it since you were a kid or watching whoever cooks in your house do it. You can add kale or spinach to your smoothies. I love to do this even though my kids don't always love it. If you watch me, you know, you've got to sneak these things in sometimes.

You can also just saute these green leafy veggies. You can add spinach to soups. I just did that the other day. I made this really great lentil soup and I put spinach in it. You can add kale to soups as well. You can even make kale chips in your air fryer.

Oh, if you eat wraps, instead of using bread as your base and having all those high carbohydrates, you can use leafy green vegetables like a big piece of kale as the base of your wrap.

I don't care how you incorporate them, just incorporate these lovely green leafy vegetables into your diet because they can help to improve the vitality of your kidneys and detox your body.

2. Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid, and fiber. They're actually low in potassium and they're low in phosphorus, which is really good, especially for late-stage kidney disease because your kidneys are responsible for getting rid of excess phosphorus. And if the phosphorus in your body is too high, it can lead to heart disease and strokes. It can also lead to bad bone health and fractures. And so for people who have end-stage kidney disease, or who are on dialysis, it's recommended that they have a low phosphorus diet. Their bright, beautiful red color lets you know that they are loaded with antioxidants, particularly lycopene, which is great for your overall health.

Detox Benefits

Now, how does this wonderful little red bell pepper help to detoxify your body? Well, it's loaded with antioxidants, which bind to free radicals and that's good. It also has high vitamin C, and actually, red bell peppers have a higher vitamin C content than most citrus fruits. This is a little-known fact. And we know that vitamin C helps with your immune system because if you have a respiratory infection, for example, vitamin C helps to decrease the duration of that infection.

How To Incorporate Red Bell Peppers Into Your Meals

So how can you incorporate red bell peppers into your diet? You can chop them up and just enjoy them as a snack. Dip them in humus. You can saute them or add them to your sauces or sandwiches and put them in salads. It's another great vegetable that's good for your kidney health.

Question, if you could ask me any question you wanted about kidney health, what would it be? Please put it in the comments.

Actually, I'll do you one better. I want to invite you to my exclusive members-only Dr. Frita YouTube community. I'm pretty excited about it. This is where we have a members-only monthly live Q and A where the members will get a chance to interact with me in real-time, and you'll get your personal health and medical questions answered.

You will also get access to certain members-only videos. They'll go live first for you before anyone else. And then there'll be some member-only YouTube Shorts that only you will see. You'll get some custom loyalty badges and custom emojis. Plus, I'll give you shoutouts and it'll just be fun.  We are going to have a good time.

3. Red and Green Cabbage

Y'all, I love me some cabbage. And both the red and the green are good for your kidneys. And this is how. They are loaded with vitamin C and vitamin K, and they're low in potassium. They also have a lot of folic acid and fiber. Red cabbage in particular is loaded with anthocyanins, a very powerful antioxidant, which we know is good for you.

Red and Green Cabbage Detox Perks

Now, how does cabbage actually help to detoxify the body? Well, cabbage helps to support liver health, and we know that the liver is important for eliminating toxins from your body. They also have antioxidants, which help to eliminate free radicals, which can damage the kidneys.

How Can You Include Cabbage In Your Diet?

There are many ways to include cabbage in your diet, I like to slice my cabbage, add some onions, and a little bit of red pepper. I don't like to cook it too much because I don't want to get rid of the health benefits. You can also make cole slaw with cabbage. You can add cabbage to your soups or make sauerkraut if you like. And I like to use red cabbage in my juices. Yes, I like to mix the red cabbage with fresh pineapple, and that's actually something that can help you with collagen production and of course, with your digestive system.

4. Garlic and Onions

Pull out your breath mints because I want you to load up with garlic and onions for your kidney health. Garlic and onions are both loaded with vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. They're low in phosphorus. Both onions and garlic have great anti-inflammatory effects, and they're good for boosting your immune system. They can help to detoxify your body because they have antioxidants, and they can help to support your kidney health.

How Can You Add Onions and Garlic In Your Diet?

I'm sure you already know that you can incorporate these in just about every dish, I know I do. I mince my garlic, chop my onions, put them in my soups, and add them to my leafy green vegetables. I add them to my collard greens and I put onions on my sandwiches. I like raw onions too. I put garlic and onions in my salads.

Oh, and they're also good for your circulation. Garlic, in particular, has something called allicin, which is a substance that helps your blood vessel walls to relax and dilate. So this can help to lower your blood pressure. It can also increase your circulation, which is, of course, great for your overall health.

5. Cauliflower

Cauliflower can help to improve the overall health of your kidneys. Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. Cauliflower also contains certain compounds like glucosinolates and isocyanates, which help reduce inflammation in the body and support your overall health.

Detox Value In Cauliflower

They help to detoxify the body by supporting your body's natural detoxification systems by supporting your liver and kidney health. And with all of the fiber that cauliflower has, it helps you to eliminate waste through your digestive system.

How Can You Eat Cauliflower?

Of course, you can just boil it, or you can roast it. I like to use it as a substitute for carbohydrates. For example, I will make myself some mashed cauliflower instead of using mashed potatoes. Just boil it to make it really soft, then add a little bit of water. You could also add a little bit of butter and just mash it up. It has a similar consistency to potatoes without all of the carbohydrates. I also like to make cauliflower rice, another really helpful substitute.

6. Sweet Potatoes

Ooh, you got the right one, baby, because I love sweet potatoes, I'm not even kidding. They are loaded with beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. They also have lots of fiber, and they're really great for your digestion. Sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index when you compare them to white potatoes. So if you have a taste for potatoes, but you need to manage your blood sugar, sweet potatoes are an excellent choice.

Detoxifying Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

They're great for helping to detoxify the body because their antioxidants help to eliminate free radicals and decrease stress on the kidneys.

How Can You Enjoy Sweet Potatoes In Your Meals?

One of the most popular ways to add sweet potatoes to your meal is to bake your potato. I love to just wrap mine up in silver foil and put them in the oven and enjoy them just plain. They're sweet. I don't need to add anything to them. Some people will add a little cinnamon. That's always good as well. You can also put sweet potatoes in your soups. Ooh, and I like making a sweet potato soup where I take the sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions, and blend it up very nicely. I'll also put a little ginger in there, some vegetable broth, and just make something that looks kind of like a bisque.

You can also make yourself some mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries. You can do all kinds of things with sweet potatoes. Most importantly, you can improve your kidney function and help to detox your body.

7. Broccoli

Now this is a fan favorite. I love me some broccoli. It has vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A. It's also loaded with folic acid and fiber. Broccoli also contains a compound called sulforaphane. This compound is known to reduce chronic diseases, including some diseases that can negatively affect the kidneys.

Detox Benefits of Broccoli

Broccoli helps detoxify the body because it supports liver health and helps the liver to be able to neutralize toxins and eliminate them from the body. It also is loaded with fiber, which helps you to eliminate toxins through your digestive system.

How Can You Cook Broccoli?

You can just wash it, and eat it raw, like I like to do. You can also put broccoli in a nice low-sugar, low-salt dip or add it to some hummus. Boil or saute your broccoli. Make yourself a salad using chopped broccoli or add it to casseroles or soups.

8. Root Vegetables

Let's get to the root of the problem. Listen, my kids say I have corny jokes, but I crack myself up. We're talking root veggies like carrots, beets, and turnips. I, for one, love root vegetables. One, because they're great for kidney health, we know that they are loaded with all kinds of essential nutrients. They have vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A, plus they have lots of fiber.

Root vegetables also have lots of anti-inflammatory properties that support your kidney wellness. They support your liver health and your digestive system, and we know that these help to detoxify the body as well.

How To Incorporate Root Vegetables In Your Diet

So how can you incorporate root vegetables into your diet? Now this is where it gets fun.

Carrots

You can peel your carrots and just eat them plain. You can dip them in a little bit of a healthy ranch dressing. You can also use carrots in soups. Oh gosh, I love making soup using carrots.  The other day I made a soup that had carrots, onions, celery, brown lentils, and it had spinach. I definitely love carrots for my soups.  Or I'll just clean them, peel them, chop them up, and roast them.

Beets

For beets, you can certainly put them in soups and stews, or you can just clean them, cut 'em, and eat them plain. But I especially love putting my beets in beet juice. Yes, I make my own juice with my Nama Juicer.

I'll tell you what, make sure you check out my YouTube short I have on how to make a really healthy beet juice after you finish reading this article.

9. Shiitake Mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms are great for your kidneys. They're loaded with B vitamins, vitamin D, selenium, and lots of antioxidants, which help to protect the kidneys. They help detoxify the body because again, they help to support your liver health and the health of your kidneys. And of course, these organs help to eliminate toxins from your body.

How To Prepare Your Shiitake Mushrooms?

I like to saute mine. I'll add onions, garlic, and a little olive oil. I'll also eat my shiitake mushrooms raw. You can also put them in salads, soups, and stews.

10. Zucchini

Zucchini is good for your kidneys and for detoxifying the body. Zucchini is low in calories, it's low in potassium, and high in vitamin A, and vitamin C. Zucchini is also high in fiber and high in antioxidants, which are great for the overall strength of your kidneys.

Detoxifying Properties of Zucchini

As far as detoxifying the body, it's a very hydrating vegetable. So with all that hydration and that fiber, it does help to cleanse the digestive system, which, of course, gets rid of toxins.

How Can You Enjoy Your Zucchini?

You can chop it up, roast it, or broil it. You can add zucchini to soups and salads. It can also be added to casseroles. But something I especially like about zucchini is that you can spiralize it and make zucchini noodles. This is a great substitute for some of these processed noodles or processed pasta. You can use zucchini noodles instead. That's a great way to incorporate it into your diet and improve kidney function.

11. Asparagus

Asparagus is another vegetable that's really good for your kidneys and for detoxifying the body. Asparagus has vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid and fiber. Asparagus also acts as a natural diuretic, you know, like a water pill. It helps the kidneys to get rid of excess water as well as excess toxins. Asparagus also is high in antioxidants, which is supportive of kidney wellness.

How To Use Asparagus In Your Meals

Asparagus is delicious. Okay, perhaps it's an acquired taste. You can roast it, you can grill it, you can boil it, saute it, and use it with different dips. I actually like to cook my asparagus in the oven. I tend to broil it. So here's what I do. I'll put the asparagus out on a tray and I'll add olive oil, lots of garlic, and herbs. I also like to add red pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. I'll even make myself some little cajun asparagus and I'll eat the asparagus spears. My kids eat them too. Asparagus is great for kidney function. It's also another detoxifying vegetable.

Which of the vegetables I mentioned today actually surprised you as far as being healthy for your kidneys? Put that in the comments. Also, if you're already incorporating any of these vegetables in your diet, please put that in the comments and let us know how you prepare your vegetables.

12. Green Beans

Green beans are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. They have lots of fiber, so they're great for digestion, which, of course, means they can help detoxify your body by helping you to eliminate toxins through your waste, and your digestive system.

Ways To Prepare Green Beans

You can prepare green beans by boiling them, broiling them, adding them to soups, or adding green beans to salads. It's really just a staple as far as side dishes, right? But it's another one of these great vegetables that's actually low in potassium and it's low in phosphorus, which is good if you have later-stage kidney disease.  Overall green beans are great for your overall health.

Conclusion

There you have it, these are 12 vegetables that can help to improve your kidney function and detoxify your body. If you found this article to be helpful and informative, please be sure to share it with the people you care about. Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit that notification bell so you're among the first to know when I release new content.