As kidney patients approach renal failure, a nephrologist or renal dietitian meets with them to discuss dietary changes and to provide guidelines for eating. These guidelines are determined by the patient's individual lab results. By heeding these recommendations, patients often experience fewer symptoms of renal failure and may be able to prolong the life of their kidneys. If you are approaching renal failure, do not change your diet without first consulting your nephrologist.
Protein
Patients with failing kidneys who have not yet started dialysis are often instructed to eat less protein to minimize the amount of protein that leaks into the urine. Eating less protein can be advantageous as you approach renal failure because, as dialysis provider Da Vita points out, dietary protein causes all sorts of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, flank pain and weakness in patients approaching end-stage kidney disease. Unfortunately, many patients take this to extremes and become malnourished -- which it not optimal if a kidney transplant is planned.
More about Protein
Patients who start dialysis are instructed to increase their protein consumption. Here, the focus is no longer on prolonging the life of the kidneys, but on replacing nutrients that are lost in the dialysis process. The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease notes that most people on dialysis are urged to eat as much high-quality protein as possible. According to the NIDDK, high-quality protein foods produce less blood urea nitrogen in your body. These foods include meat, fish, poultry and eggs.
Potassium
Regardless whether or not they have started dialysis, patients with end-stage kidney disease are often instructed to minimize their potassium intake because this mineral builds up when the kidneys can no longer remove it from the bloodstream. Since high potassium levels cause irregular heartbeats and heart attacks, the National Kidney Foundation urges patients to steer clear of high-potassium foods including bananas, lentils, nuts, oranges, potatoes, sweet potatoes, dried fruits and whole-wheat products. The National Kidney Foundation emphasizes portion control and warns that large amounts of low-potassium foods, such as celery, apples, watermelon, tea and coffee, can cause problems.
Phosphorus
Kidney disease is hard on your bones. NIDDK explains that when kidneys can no longer remove phosphorus from the blood, the high levels of phosphorus in the bloodstream leach calcium from the bones. The best way to minimize bone damage is to avoid high-phosphorus foods, like cheese, beer, cocoa, dark-colored sodas, legumes, oysters, bran and wheat germ.
Fluids
As people approach dialysis, they often start losing the ability to urinate. NIDDK reports that the once this starts happening, the nephrologist or renal dietitian generally advises the patient to restrict their fluid intake to a particular limit. This problem is partially relieved when the patient starts dialysis because dialysis remove excess fluids from the body. Patients often forget that foods such as ice cream, soup and fruit have a high water content.
