protein intake for chronic kidney disease

A proper diet is vital for health, more so for those with chronic kidney disease, since the function of the kidneys is to get rid of waste resulting from body processes and the food we eat.

When we eat proteins, the waste products such as ammonia will change to urea in the liver and the blood will take the urea to the kidneys to get rid of it.When the kidney don't work properly, they can't get rid of the waste.

In thailand, doctors monitoring chronic kidney disease patients who were very disciplined and strict about their low protein diets claimed that some were able to delay the progression of the disease by eight to ten years.

While advocating a low protein diet for CKD patients, doctor cautions that they must still get enough protein, which is need to build, maintain and repair tissues and muscles as well as resist infection.Eating too little protein will lead to mainutrition and lower tha body's ability to fight infection.

The dietitian decides the diet for the patients according to his or her food habits. If the kidneys are working properly, the patient need 0.8g to 1.0g of protein per kilogramme of body weight. so a 60kg will need 48g to 60g of protein per day.

If the kidney get worse, the patient has to go on a very low protein diet of 0.3g to 0.4g of protein per kg of body weight.

Patient must choose their source of protein wisely. The best quality protein, called high biological value (HBV) protein, comes from animal product such as beef, pork, lamb,fish, chicken and dairy product. plant protein are lower quality.

Managing the underlying causes of kidney damage also imperative. A diabetic need to control blood sugar while the hypertensive person need to control blood pressure