Are dates good for kidney patients?

A single large date provides roughly 150-170 mg of potassium; two or three dates add up to ~400-500 mg — a large share of the daily potassium budget in advanced CKD and dialysis.

Dates are also ~65-75% sugar, which matters for diabetes — the leading cause of kidney failure.

The honest verdict: dates are a healthy food for people with normal kidneys, but in CKD stages 4-5 and on dialysis they belong on the 'limit' list — check the high-potassium foods list and choose lower-potassium alternatives like apples or berries.