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Vitamins for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Can These 4 Help?
Note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve supplements for safety or effectiveness. Talk to a healthcare professional about whether a supplement is the right fit for your individual health, and about any potential drug interactions or safety concerns.
If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you may have an enhanced need of vitamin and mineral supplements, but your condition can also make taking dietary supplements risky.
“When it comes to supplementing in the kidney disease population, I get nervous,” says Chicago-based Melanie Betz, RD, who specializes in kidney health and nutrition.
“Your body has a limited capacity to get rid of waste, which is why I urge patients to be careful with supplementing,” she says.
Always talk to your healthcare provider, such as your kidney doctor or a registered dietitian, before taking any of the following popular supplements for CKD.
1. Vitamin D
Bets says that you should only take vitamin D and similar supplements for your CKD under the advice and supervision of your healthcare provider, who also can advise on dosage and type of vitamin D.
2. Calcium
3. Iron
If you’re short on iron, your body may not be able to make enough new red blood cells. As a result, you can develop anemia when you have CKD, Betz says.
4. Probiotics
“The science is not quite there yet,” Betz says. “We know that gut bacteria have a role to play, but it’s not quite clear on what type of probiotics will make a difference.”
Vitamins to Avoid: Vitamins A, E, and K
Vitamins A, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins that are specifically risky for people with CKD.
“Fat soluble vitamins can accumulate in the body because they are stored in fat, causing a greater potential for toxicity,” Betz says.
Loss of kidney function reduces your body’s ability to remove these vitamins when there is too much in the body, which means that people with CKD can easily amass unhealthy levels.
Keep in mind that these vitamins tend to be present in multivitamins, as are other minerals that people with CKD are sometimes asked to avoid, such as potassium. Betz typically doesn’t recommend using a multivitamin at any stage of CKD.
“If you’re eating a healthy diet, I don’t feel that there’s a need for a general multivitamin,” she says.
The Takeaway
- People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) may have nutrient deficiencies due to low intake from dietary restrictions, medication interactions, and effects of related conditions.
- Although supplements such as vitamin D, calcium, and iron may have benefits, you should only use them on your doctor’s recommendation.
- Vitamins A, E, and K, which can be found in many multivitamins, may be harmful for people with CKD; do not take supplements containing these vitamins unless specifically asked to by your doctor.
- People with kidney disease need to be very careful about using vitamin and mineral supplements. Contact your doctor for individualized recommendations tailored to your specific health situation.
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