Protein Diet for People With Kidney Faliure

According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, kidney failure can be triggered for a variety of reasons, including low blood pressure, persistent kidney disease, infections in the area, complications from pregnancy or urinary tract obstructions. Regardless of the cause, kidney failure must be attended to as best as possible, as complete loss of kidney function can result in death. This means complying with treatment and adhering to a protein-restricted diet, as this will help remove some stress from the kidneys and extend their useful life.

Renal Diet Theory

• Understanding the basic idea behind a renal diet would show the necessity of full compliance with it. A low-protein renal diet is used in cases of kidney failure to help prolong the useful life of the organs. As the kidneys are responsible for a number of functions involving the digestive system and waste removal, reducing their workload by removing those foods and food types that are most demanding on the kidneys can help to keep them operating longer. This means complying with the basic tenets of a renal diet, which involves the restriction of protein to a nominal amount per day.

Protein Restriction

• Follow a diet that contains no more than 0.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, according to information from Medline Plus. This will roughly translate into 40 to 60 grams of protein per day. Accomplish this by reducing your consumption of protein-rich foods such as meat and dairy while bolstering your intake of foods that contain relatively minor amounts of protein such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. One easy way to make this change is to alter the way in which you would normally prepare meals. Instead of considering meat a main dish and fruits, veggies and grains as side items, begin preparing the latter items as the main dish with only small amounts of meat used as a garnish or as a side item. Keep a food log, counting the number of grams of protein you have consumed throughout the day (by checking the food labels and measuring your serving sizes) to avoid inadvertently going over the recommended amount. Finally, remember to stay somewhat near your protein ceiling, as protein is needed to repair tissue throughout the body, so do not make the mistake of eliminating it wholly from your diet.