The hormone aldosterone regulates the balance of sodium and potassium in the body. People who have Addison’s disease with low aldosterone may have low levels of sodium and high amounts of potassium. You can help manage your Addison’s disease with diet.
Best foods for Addison’s disease
People who have Addison’s disease with low aldosterone hormone can eat a diet high in sodium. These include foods like:
- Grain products
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Soups
- Canned tuna
- Canned beans
- Salted nuts
- Salted seeds
If you have Addison’s disease and you crave salt, you should eat salty foods. The best choice of sodium-rich foods are nutritious foods like:
- eggs
- cheese
- salted nuts and seeds
- poultry
- You may also benefit from snacking on salted crackers or pretzels.
Your doctor may prescribe steroid medications that can balance your salt intake and allow you to eat a normal diet. People with Addison’s disease take regular steroid medicine. Over time these medicines can cause damage to the bones and bone disease. You should eat foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D to help your bones. These foods include:
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Ricotta cheese
- Soy milk
- Turnip greens
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Tofu
- Fortified cereal
- Fortified orange juice
People with Addison’s disease should eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins.
Foods to avoid if you have Addison’s disease
There are some foods that people with Addison’s disease should avoid. These include:
- Coffee
- Green tea
- Black tea
- Too much alcohol
- Too many bananas
- Too many oranges
- Salt substitutes