ESRD Diets

The kidney performs many vital roles in the healthy functioning of a human body. It is responsible for filtering the blood, removing excess fluid, regulating blood pressure and producing vital hormones. Chronic kidney disease can cause the kidney to slowly degrade over a number of years, eventually leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). A diseased kidney is no longer able to function as needed, so great care must be taken to maintaining a strict diet.

ESRD

• ESRD is the final stage of kidney disease, when the kidneys can no longer function on their own. ESRD occurs after kidney function has dropped below 10 percent and the kidneys are not able to rid the body of waste and excess water; this stage usually follows a chronic kidney disease that may have persisted for 10 to 20 years. In the United States, the leading causes of ESRD are high blood pressure and diabetes. People with ESRD need to undergo either dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Purpose of the Diet

• People with ESRD must take care to follow a very strict diet and limit fluid intake. The diet is provided by a nutritionist to people with ESRD in order to maintain a healthy body weight and prevent buildup of fluids and toxins in the body. By maintaining a strict diet and with regular physical activity --- if directed by a doctor --- the health risks are reduced and quality of life can be improved.

Diet Composition

• Without a functioning kidney, the body is not able to eliminate toxins. Dialysis can't remove all traces of toxins from the body either, so a very strict dietary regimen is required to prevent a fatal toxic buildup. Dialysis is extremely taxing on the system, so after starting treatment, the body will require extra protein to help prevent muscle and tissue loss. Because the body is not able to remove potassium, a low potassium diet is also generally required, avoiding things like bananas, potatoes and oranges. People with ESRD also need to avoid dairy products, like milk and cheese, to prevent phosphorus buildup, which can cause low calcium levels. The diet must also be low in sodium to help prevent high blood pressure. Finally, people undergoing dialysis urinate very little, so it is important to limit actual fluid intake to prevent excessive fluid buildup in the body.

Warning

• Patients with ESRD are at a great risk of malnutrition, so they must constantly undergo screening and nutritional review and analysis to prevent further complications. Individuals with ESRD have specific dietary needs that must be assessed and monitored by their doctors. Nutritional and dietary recommendations and monitoring should only be undertaken by a medical professional.