Night Market Foods Can Worsen Kidney Disease, Doctor Warns

Night market snacks, a popular indulgence for many, can pose serious risks to kidney health, according to Dr. Hong Yong-xiang, director of Hong Yong-xiang Clinic. He shared the case of a 58-year-old patient whose chronic kidney disease, already at stage 3, rapidly deteriorated over six months. The man, who had moved near a night market, consumed its offerings almost daily, leading to weight gain, elevated creatinine levels, leg swelling, and severe uremic itching.

Dr. Hong explained that the patient's diet of braised dishes, fried chicken cutlets, beef noodle soup, and bubble tea, consumed frequently for dinner and late-night snacks, was laden with hidden sodium, sugar, and phosphate additives. This constant intake pushed his already compromised kidneys to the brink. After the patient switched to home-cooked meals and avoided night market food, his kidney function improved within three months.

The doctor identified five categories of night market foods that pose significant dangers to individuals with kidney issues. Star fruit juice is particularly hazardous due to a natural neurotoxin that healthy kidneys can process but which accumulates in patients with reduced kidney function, potentially causing severe neurological symptoms. Sugary drinks like bubble tea contribute to obesity and insulin resistance, increasing the risk of diabetic nephropathy, a leading cause of dialysis.

Fried items such as salt-and-pepper chicken and fried chicken cutlets are high in oil, salt, and calories. The high sodium content and unhealthy fats can damage the delicate blood vessels within the kidneys. Noodle soups like beef noodle soup, ramen, and meatball soup often contain excessive sodium from broths and seasonings. Finally, braised dishes, while seemingly harmless, absorb large amounts of sodium and often contain processed ingredients rich in phosphate additives, which can complicate blood pressure control, cause swelling, and lead to vascular calcification.

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Some night market foods hide high sodium, high sugar, and phosphate additives. Long-term consumption can accelerate kidney function deterioration, and star fruit juice is a particularly dangerous drink for kidney patients.