Why should kidney patients avoid eating coconut and banana at the same time?

People with kidney problems should be cautious when consuming coconut and bananas due to their high potassium content.

When the kidneys have difficulty filtering potassium, fruits like coconuts and bananas can lead to hyperkalemia, which causes muscle weakness, heart problems and fatigue.

Here's why these two tropical fruits are bad for kidney patients - especially when eaten together, according to the Times of India.

Kidney patients should be careful when eating coconut and banana.

Photo: AI

Eating coconut and banana at the same time causes increased potassium which is harmful for people with kidney disease.

Potassium is an essential mineral that your body uses for muscle contractions, nerve function, and maintaining a regular heartbeat. Normally, your kidneys control potassium levels by filtering out what your body doesn't need.

However, in patients with kidney failure or impaired kidney function, this filtering system becomes abnormal. Even everyday foods can cause potassium levels to spike.

Bananas are well known for being a great source of potassium. A medium banana contains about 375-487 mg of potassium, more than enough to put kidney patients on the “use with caution” list.

Coconut, especially coconut water and coconut meat, may seem like a nutritious treat, but coconuts also contain a significant amount of potassium, which is often overlooked.

Eating these fruits individually is potentially risky for many kidney patients. Combining them together can cause hyperkalemia.

Dr. Parwez (in India) shared: "When the kidneys are not functioning properly, it becomes difficult to excrete potassium. When the potassium level in the blood increases, it increases the risk of heart attack. And in such cases, eating potassium-rich foods like bananas or coconuts, or eating them together, can pose a great risk to the body."

High potassium levels can cause:

• Muscle weakness or cramps.
• Tired.
• Nausea or irregular heartbeat or, in severe cases, cardiac arrest.

Replace potassium-rich fruits with lower potassium fruits such as: Apples, berries (strawberries, blueberries ...), pineapple, grapes, pears... These fruits can provide flavor and nutrients without causing a spike in potassium, which is a high risk for people with kidney disease.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/benh-nhan-than-can-tranh-dua-va-chuoi-bo-doi-gay-hai-khong-ngo-185250727075745955.htm