by Peter Laird, MD
This is Peter from the Idaho potato factory.
A recent article in the journal of Food Science shows that the commonly advised method of leaching potatoes is ineffective in removing potassium to safe levels for CKD-5 patients. The authors did note a significant reduction of potassium levels in potatoes by 50-75% when boiling small slices before eating, whereas the practice of leaching did not remove any significant amount of potassium.
Bill, I am sure would correctly point out that the usual dietary restrictions on potassium and phosphorus are not needed in the majority of patients on nocturnal, home hemodialysis done on a daily basis. So, if you wish to eat potatoes, boil them or go to nightly nocturnal hemodialysis. However, you should no longer depend on leaching as a method of removing what can be deadly levels of potassium.
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