Diet In Kidney Disease: Facts And Fiction

Dr Sanjeev Gulati shares all the myths and facts about 'Diet In Kidney Disease'.

Our country has an increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent data from community screening studies suggest that 20-30 out of every 100 persons in our country have some evidence of kidney disease. The prevalence of CKD is increasing rapidly in our country as well as all over the world. Diabetes, hypertension, and kidney stones are common causes of kidney disease in our country. Therefore, the increase in CKD is predominantly due to the increased prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Principal Director Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Dr Sanjeev Gulati, Fortis Hospital Vasant Kunj, shares all the myths and facts about 'Diet In Kidney Disease'.

National Nutrition Week

This week is celebrated as the national nutrition week to increase diet awareness in managing different kidney diseases. Diet is unique to other races; hence, it is challenging to extrapolate dietary guidelines from western diets to Indian diets. Blood pressure control is one of the essential measures to slow down CKD progression.

Indians: The Salt Eaters

Indians are one of the most voracious salt eaters on the entire planet. Hence one of the ways to ensure that prolong the life of the kidneys is to take a diet low in salt. This will help control blood pressure. Diabetic patients should ensure their diet is low in readily available sugars. Protein restriction is one of the most controversial and mismanaged aspects of CKD. It was believed that protein restriction helps in slowing the progression of CKD. However, this was based on western diets, which are high in protein.

Protein Restriction In Vegetarian Diets

However, recent studies show no additive benefit from restricting protein in vegetarian plant-based diets. On the contrary, protein restriction in vegetarian diets leads to malnutrition and muscle loss, although there may be a minor reduction in creatinine. This makes these patients more prone to infections and increases the risk of death. Besides, one should ensure that diet is low in phosphorus (dairy products in moderation) and low in potassium (avoid fruit juices, dry fruits, and citrus fruits).

Diet In Kidney Disease

Contrary to popular belief, most patients with kidney disease can eat food cooked with spices used in moderation but low in salt. Also, vegetable oils can be used freely in cooking; they need not eat boiled food. New research also shows that fruits and vegetables are as effective as sodium bicarbonate in kidney protective effects.

Conclusion

However, these patients need to monitor their serum potassium closely. Thus, diet in CKD patients needs to be tailored depending upon the severity of kidney disease. This is nicely done in joint consultation with a nephrologist and a nutritionist.