Vegetable Broth-only Diet Lands Man in Hospital|連吃兩週蔬菜湯 腎病男酮酸中毒險死

A Kaohsiung man in his 40s was fatigued and had a poor appetite. For two weeks, he only ate vegetable soup. He began experiencing tightness in his chest and breathing difficulties and went to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with a deteriorating kidney and said he almost lost his life.


Many people think they can improve their health by consuming more vegetable broth. A 40-something man in Kaohsiung suffering from fatigue and a poor appetite began a vegetable broth-only diet. Not only did his condition not improve, his face and feet began swelling. He eventually ended up in the emergency room with tightness in his chest and respiratory difficulties.

The patient was not eating any starch like rice or steamed buns at all. He also wasn't eating anything sweet like fruit. His body had no glucose to absorb, so it couldn't produce any energy through glucose metabolism. Instead, his body went on an alternate metabolic route, which is ketosis. His kidney wasn't in good shape, and it resulted in ketoacidosis.

Doctors say renal disease patients should limit their potassium intake. Green vegetables in particular are high in potassium. The man did not know he had renal problems and he developed ketoacidosis and hyperkalemia as a result of his diet.

We don't recommend raw vegetables for chronic kidney disease patients with high blood potassium levels, because raw vegetables contain very high potassium levels. We recommend they blanch and then stir-fry vegetables before eating.

Dieticians say people with kidney problems need to consume a low-fat, low-sodium, low-potassium and low-protein diet that is balanced in macronutrients.