Diet and Nutrition in Kidney Disease

Information

         Diet plays a critical role in maintaining good health for patients with kidney disease.  Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can progress slowly over many years, and occurs in five stages.  It may lead to end stage kidney failure (stage 5) requiring dialysis.  As kidney disease progresses, nutritional needs change. 

         One of the major functions of the kidneys is to remove excess waste products and fluids from the body.  Fluids and chemicals from the breakdown of foods can build up in the body in kidney failure.  It becomes necessary to limit the intake of certain foods.

         Following a low-protein diet is believed to slow down the progression of kidney disease.  Therefore, it is important to ask the doctor for a referral to meet with a registered dietitian early in kidney disease.  Each person with kidney disease needs to be assessed individually.  There is no “one diet” for all since the reasons for kidney failure are varied (high blood pressure, diabetes, lupus, etc.).  Coexisting health conditions, medications, and the stage of kidney disease also need to be considered.  This makes individual diet counseling provided by a dietitian an important part of treatment.

         The goal of diet in kidney disease is to maintain optimal nutritional health and to help keep adverse symptoms to a minimum.  Symptoms may include decreased appetite, metallic taste in mouth, tiredness, weakness, nausea and vomiting.  A pre-dialysis diet usually limits protein, sodium, and phosphorus for persons with early stage kidney disease, and weight is monitored to ensure adequate calories are consumed.   In end stage kidney disease, the diet varies based on the type of treatment chosen.  Possible treatments include hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplant.  Each person is different and should be evaluated and counseled by a registered dietitian.

What is a Renal Dietitian?