Low Protein Diet in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects millions of people worldwide. If you are have been diagnosed with CKD, you need to make some changes, so as to avoid further deterioration of kidney. Low protein diet is needed for kidney disease patients who have not started dialysis. Here, in this article, we will mainly introduce low protein diet in chronic kidney disease.
Why low protein diet is needed for chronic kidney disease patients?
Protein is needed in the body for growth, building of muscles and repairing of tissues. It is found in large quantities in animal sources, such as meats, seafood and dairy products; it is also found in plant sources, such as breads, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Protein is necessary in the body, but when it has too much, it produces a waste called urea, which is difficult for compromised kidneys to remove. The key with kidney disease is to have just enough protein without taking in excess amounts.
How much protein is needed by chronic kidney disease patients?
For patients with stage 1 CKD-stage 2 CKD, 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight is needed every day. For these with CKD stage 3, 0.6g/kg/d is needed. For people with CKD stage 4, 0.4g/kg/d is ok and for patients whose illness is in CKD stage 5, 0.2 gram of protein per day per kilogram is needed if they have not started dialysis. However, if they are on dialysis, much more protein (1.2g/kg/d) will be required.
Protein source for Chronic Kidney Disease patients
According to Every Diet (see Resources), one of the simplest ways to reduce the protein intake is to start using less.
Here is a sample one-day diet for kidney disease patients:
For breakfast have ¾ cup Cheerios with ½ cup non-dairy creamer, ½ banana and ½ cup orange juice. For your mid-morning snack, have a fruit roll-up. Lunchtime consists of a turkey sandwich with 1 ounce turkey, 2 slices of bread, lettuce, ½ cup tomato, ½ cup green beans, mayonnaise, a medium apple and ½ cup fruit punch. For an afternoon snack, enjoy a Popsicle. For dinner a 2 ounce hamburger, ½ cup white rice, ¼ cup broccoli, ¼ cup cauliflower, tossed salad with ranch dressing and ½ cup pineapple. For an evening snack have 1 ounce of gum drops.

If you are diabetic, speak to a renal dietitian before staring any diet plan.