The director of Hong Yongxiang Clinic recommends 5 picky eating hell vegetables to protect the kidneys: Bitter melon ranks first

2026/09/05 08:17

Hong Yongxiang, director of Hong Yongxiang Clinic, said that the ingredients contained in the five picky hell vegetables all have kidney-protective effects. Among them, coriander is rich in phytochemicals and flavonoids, which can help detoxify heavy metals in the body and have antioxidant effects. (File photo)

[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] Vegetables such as coriander and bitter melon are often avoided by people, but they have unexpected benefits for health. Hong Yongxiang, director of Hong Yongxiang Clinic, said that five kinds of vegetables, including coriander and bitter melon, can be said to be "picky vegetables from hell" that many people dare not touch. However, they contain different ingredients such as phytochemicals, flavonoids, anthocyanins, vitamin C, and allicin, which are good helpers for kidney protection. Among them, bitter melon is ranked No. 1 in kidney protection because it contains momordica glycosides and phytoinsulin, which help stabilize blood sugar.

Ranking of the top 5 picky eating hell vegetables that protect the kidneys

Hong Yongxiang posted on his Facebook page that some people miss out on truly protective natural foods because of picky eaters or blind taboos. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis in the "Journal of Renal Nutrition" included 121,927 participants and found that adopting a plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of CKD. He also sorted out the following five types of vegetables that are often hated by people, but they have different benefits such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and blood sugar stabilization, which can help maintain kidney health.

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●No. 5/Cilantro, coriander: rich in phytochemicals and flavonoids, which help detoxify and resist oxidation. Studies have shown that it has the potential to assist in the detoxification of heavy metals in the body and help reduce oxidative damage to kidney cells caused by environmental toxins.

●No. 4/Eggplant: Eggplant peel is rich in the antioxidant anthocyanin (Nasunin). Studies have shown that it helps scavenge free radicals, prevent vascular endothelial hardening, and maintain good blood circulation and filtration functions of the kidneys.

●No. 3/Red and Yellow Peppers: Many people hate the special grassy smell of colored peppers, but their vitamin C content ranks among the best among vegetables, and compared to other dark green vegetables, their potassium content is relatively mild. Its antioxidant power can help slow down kidney inflammation, and it is also a kidney-protecting food recommended by nephrologists.

●No. 2/Garlic and onions: The spicy taste and bad breath deter many people from eating more of them, but a study in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) pointed out that the high content of allicin and quercetin can significantly slow down chronic inflammation in the body, reduce the risk of renal vascular sclerosis, and protect the filtration efficiency of the renal glomerulus.

●No. 1/Bitter Melon: Diabetes is the main culprit leading to kidney failure and dialysis. Relevant research in the authoritative journal "Kidney International Reports" pointed out that the bitter melon glycosides and plant insulin in bitter melon can significantly reduce blood sugar fluctuations. Controlling blood sugar from the source directly decompresses the kidney filter, which is also the first line of defense against kidney disease.

Hong Yongxiang reminded that kidney protection does not rely on a certain super food, but more importantly, the overall dietary pattern. He also emphasized that the real formula for kidney protection should be: a variety of vegetables + natural foods + less salt + less ultra-processed foods.