Kidney disease can wreak havoc on your body and eating the wrong kind of diet can make things worse. If you are suffering from kidney problems, you doctor may recommend cutting back on protein because this macronutrient can place stress on the kidneys. Not all kidney patients need to be on a low-protein diet, and for some it can even be detrimental, so check with your doctor about the best type of food regimen for you.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease can be genetic or can develop as a complication of other diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure. People with kidney disease can no longer efficiently process waste byproducts. In particular, the kidneys become unable to efficiently filter out the nitrogen and creatinine produced by the breakdown of protein, so these dangerous compounds build up in the bloodstream. Damage to the kidneys typically occurs slowly and is often without symptoms in the early stages. If left untreated, kidney failure can occur and the patient may need a kidney transplant, or require dialysis, in which blood is filtered through a machine.
Low Protein
The specific amount of protein allowed on a low-protein diet depends on a patient's overall health and the progression of the kidney disease. Work with a doctor to determine how much protein, if any, is appropriate for your condition. Many patients use a moderate protein diet with 1 g of protein each day for every 10 kg of body weight, according to Medline Plus. This is about 8 g of protein per day for a 180-lb individual. By contrast, healthy adult women without kidney disease usually need 46 g of protein every day and the recommended amount for men is 56 g of protein daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Food Choices
Patients on a low-protein diet must generally avoid animal products, such as meat, eggs, seafood, fish, milk, cheese and yogurt. Some vegetarian food sources also contain high levels of protein, so kidney patients on this type of diet might need to avoid soy, tempeh, quinoa, flaxseed and nuts. In most cases, the calories lost from not eating protein should be made up using carbohydrates, so fruit, vegetables and whole grains are usually the focus of this type of diet.
Considerations
A low-protein diet is not appropriate for all kidney disease patients. Patients undergoing dialysis may need to temporarily increase their protein intake. Diabetics with kidney disease need to balance their protein and carbohydrate intake to avoid complications from both diseases. Other dietary interventions might also be necessary for treating kidney disease, including reducing water intake or restricting salt, potassium, phosphorus or other electrolytes. A kidney patient should also talk to a doctor about how many daily calories she needs, especially if she has experienced unexpected weight loss.
References
- Medline Plus: Kidney Disease
- Medline Plus; Diet-Chronic Kidney Disease; October 2009
- Drugs.com; Low Protein Diet
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Nutrition for Later Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults; January 2006
- Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Protein; February 2011
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