Adjusting your diet to help manage renal, or kidney, disease sounds difficult, but with guidance, you can do it. There are many resources, such as the American Association of Kidney Patients. See the Resources section for link. If you have renal disease, managing your diet will help you manage your condition.
Stages of Kidney Disease
The type of kidney disease you have determines the nutritional management of the disease. The National Kidney Foundation recommends following guidelines established by the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative, which breaks down the large groups and types of kidney diseases into five stages.
If you are in stages one through four comprise the chronic kidney disease category. Kidney failure alone makes up stage five, which generally involves dialysis treatment. Nutrition management during dialysis depends on whether you choose hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Chronic Kidney Disease
Nutritional management for chronic kidney disease changes over time and bears monitoring by your health care providers. They will evaluate your blood work to adjust your dietary management. In general, you need to eat less protein because the kidneys can no longer process the wastes, which build up in the blood. The National Kidney Foundation advises getting enough calories to sustain energy and keep protein from being wasted.
Always check with your physician or dietitian before taking any vitamins or minerals which also build up in the blood in the absence of kidney function. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and check in often with your care provider to monitor your lab values.
Hemodialysis
Those in stage five who choose hemodialysis replace kidney function with a machine that removes toxins by running blood through a filter. The nutrition guidelines from the National Kidney Foundation for hemodialyis suggest getting enough calories to sustain energy and to introduce more protein back into the diet. You need more protein to maintain muscle status and protect your immune system. The National Kidney Foundation also suggests limiting salt, fluids, phosphorus, calcium and potassium.
Peritoneal Dialysis
Patients who have reached stage five and choose peritoneal dialysis replace kidney function by filtering toxins in the peritoneum. The National Kidney Foundation suggests asking your kidney specialist, or nephrologist, or your renal dietitian for specific dietary guidelines to manage your kidney disease. You must make sure you get adequate calories and restrict your phosphorus, calcium, sodium and fluid intake. A peritoneal dialysis diet may allow more protein and potassium than the hemodialysis diet.
Finding a Renal Dietitian
The American Dietetic Association provides a search tool for finding a dietitian. See the Resources section for link. Each listing gives the types of counseling the dietitian provides. Look for terms such as "renal" or "kidney disease counseling" to find a dietitian who specializes in nutrition for kidney disease.
References
- National Kidney Foundation: Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative
- National Kidney Foundation: Glomerular Filtration Rate
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition and Hemodialysis
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition and Peritoneal Dialysis
- National Kidney Foundation: Nutrition in Early Kidney Disease
