Low-protein Diet For Polycystic Kidney Disease

According to the National Kidney Foundation, polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, affects approximately 600,000 people in the United States in 2011. This disease causes approximately 5 percent of all renal failure. It is very different from other diseases that cause renal failure so it follows that dietary approaches may be different than those used to treat other kidney diseases, particularly in the early stages of the disease.

Professional Opinions

The National Kidney Foundation reports that "no specific diet is known to prevent cysts from developing in patients with PKD." This is very different from the recommendations the Foundation makes regarding other kidney diseases. It notes that "low protein diets have not proved helpful to PKD patients with advanced kidney disease."

Conflicting Opinion

The PKD Foundation warns patients who are not on dialysis against consuming too much protein. Like the National Kidney Foundation, it urges against high-protein diets. However, unlike the National Kidney Foundation, it claims that consuming a low-protein diet may be beneficial. The PKD Foundation recommends that PKD patients consume 0.6 to 0.8g of protein for every kilogram of body weight.

Rationale

For patients with PKD, the primary driver of disease progression is cyst formation. This is very different from other kidney diseases, including diabetic nephropathy and immunologically mediated kidney diseases. In these diseases, the downward progression of the disease is accelerated by the additional wear and tear caused by proteins leaking through the glomerular membrane. Numerous studies, including one by P. Chauveau appearing in the January 2011 issue of the "Journal of Renal Nutrition," show that low-protein diets slow down the progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with high urine protein. If PKD patients do not have very high urine protein, it follows that a low-protein diet may be of little value. However, for those patients with high urine protein, a low-protein diet could be of benefit.

Warning

Consult your nephrologist before changing your diet if you have PKD. Low-protein diets are not for everyone. They are rarely recommended for children, because children need protein to grow. They are never recommended for patients on dialysis, because these patients are often malnourished and suffering from muscle wasting. Your nephrologist is in the best position to review your laboratory results and advise you about dietary matters.