The Need For Protein Supplements in End Stage Kidney Disease

By Jim Duffy

During the early stages of most kidney diseases, the patient will be advised to limit protein intake to some degree. Because protein is so vital to the entire body, this limitation should only be made under doctor's orders and with the guidance of a dietitian or nutritionist. The protein that is left in the diet at this point will be high-quality with certain additional restrictions as well. However, once the patient reaches end stage kidney disease, the restriction on protein will not only end but the patient will also need to increase intake.

The level that is suggested at this stage is double that of the average diet and may be hard to achieve with a normal diet for a number of reasons. Protein supplements will be beneficial because they are high in protein and can be high in calories, helping to reach the right amount as suggested by the doctor, and they may be easier to tolerate than trying to eat large meals.

In Stage I through IV, the protein level is restricted, with the strictest restriction at Stage IV, the final stage before dialysis becomes necessary. In this stage, dietary protein may be as low as 10%, but again, only with a doctor's guidance. Excess protein at this point will lead to nausea and vomiting, a loss of appetite, weakness and itching that is sometimes intense. To put this into perspective: the average diet is 14-18% protein and the average vegan diet is 10-12% protein.

Not only is the amount of protein limited, but the type of protein may be limited as well. Vegetarian protein sources might be suggested in Stage IV so that protein can still be included in the diet but will also slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. A vegetarian diet gets protein from plant sources, which can be digested with less protein waste buildup. It also works to maintain the levels of sodium, potassium and phosphorous.

Limiting the amount of phosphorous in the diet is important because it can deplete calcium in the body and may cause or worsen osteoporosis. Protein itself can cause this problem by causing too much calcium to be eliminated from the body through urination, even when the kidneys are healthy and functioning properly. In kidney disease, however, electrolyte imbalances can be common and certain minerals will compete with one another. These foods that need to be limited include bran cereals, dried beans, brown rice, lentils, salmon, organ meats, sardines, chocolate and cola. Dairy foods are also included on this list of limitations, especially skim milk.

Once the end stage of chronic kidney disease has been reached, food needs will change dramatically, including a huge increase in both protein and calories to keep the weight steady despite a greatly decreased appetite. The calories have to be high enough to prevent muscle wasting and will be based on "dry" weight. Dry weight is calculated by estimating actual weight minus the fluid retained. The amount of recommended protein is based on this number.

Average Need vs. End Stage Needs

The average person's protein intake is decided by gender, health and activity levels. For a very sedentary person, that need may be as low as around.4 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a very active person, that need can increase to.8 to 1 gram of protein. Even a bodybuilder will not need an extreme amount of protein and may only need around 1.2 to 1.5 grams of protein. The American Heart Association recommends that the diet not be over 35% protein, however, that need might change with end stage renal failure.

The average protein needs throughout life are as follows:

Age Grams of protein per kg of body weight

- Newborn to six months: 2.2 kg

- Six to twelve months: 2.0 kg

- One to three years: 1.8 kg

- Four to six years: 1.5 kg

- Seven to ten years: 1.2 kg

- Eleven to fourteen years: 1.0 kg

- Fifteen to eighteen years:.9 kg

-Nineteen years and beyond:.8 kg

For those who are in Stage V renal failure, there will be a minimum protein requirement of 1.5 to 2 grams per kilogram of weight(dry), with the additional suggestion of getting about 25% of their protein at every meal and to include supplements and snacks to get to the right level of protein. The patient will be told to get their protein from meats, frequent egg dishes since egg is the perfect protein and high protein supplements.

Supplement Options

Because end stage renal failure can cause nausea and vomiting as well as decreased appetite, it is important to get high quality protein as well as high calorie counts in the easiest way possible. Supplements can be beneficial because they are easier to consume, they are high in soluble and digestible protein and they can be more appetizing than trying to eat foods. It is easier to pop open a supplement and drink it down than it would be to sit and try to make it through a whole meal. Because kidney disease may also cause taste changes, foods that were once favorites may not be as appealing any longer.

Supplements can be either powder, already mixed shakes, supplement shots and protein bars.

Protein Powders - There are four protein powder sources: rice, whey, soy and egg. The powders can be either from a single protein source or a combination of two or more. Anyone with known or suspected food allergies should stick with single ingredient protein supplements for safety. Vegans can use both rice and soy protein powder supplements.

Protein Shakes - Shakes that are already mixed and ready to go are fairly common and can save time and be more convenient to use. They should have enough calories in each serving as well as be a high quality protein. Diabetics should stick to the protein shakes that are recommended to them by the doctor; there are several brands that are created specifically for them.

Protein Supplement Shots - An even easier way to get the right amount of protein is with the liquid protein supplement shot.

Protein Bars - The protein bars typically have a number of different dessert-like flavors that might be appealing, however, make sure that they do not have a lot of additional sugars in them which can be hard on the immune system. They should still have plenty of protein in them. One popular brand has 180 calories, 12 grams of protein and limited sugar, making it a good snack choice.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

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Simple Ways to Follow a Kidney Stone Diet

Passing a kidney stone is considered by numerous individuals to be among the most excruciating encounters an individual can experience in a lifetime. The truth of the matter is that a huge number of individuals will go in any event one kidney stone in their lifetime, despite the fact that men are bound to create them than ladies. A few people may pass only one stone in their lives, however others will find that this difficult occasion turns into a common example in their lives. While there are meds your PCP may endorse to assist you with counteracting the improvement of stones, following a kidney stone eating routine is commonly a favored avoidance technique as it doesn't require every day admission of drugs.

The Goal of the Diet

The truth of the matter is that when your kidneys are working at ideal levels, stones are less inclined to create. The objective of the kidney stone eating regimen is to give your kidneys what they have to work at the most significant level, and this commonly implies taking in the perfect degree of sodium, protein, potassium, phosphorous, and water. For the most part, there are perfect degrees of supplements that you need to take in every day, and you would prefer not to have excessively or excessively little inside a specific time period.

Objections About the Diet

Numerous individuals do want to pursue the kidney stone eating regimen as opposed to take drugs since it is frequently increasingly reasonable and it is likewise desirable over control your stone improvement normally than through fake methods. In any case, as you can envision, taking in a perfect degree of sodium, potassium, phosphorous, and protein every day can be dubious as it implies checking the wholesome data in your nourishments and arranging your suppers out early. To screen liquids, you for the most part need to screen your pee yield every day. So a typical objection about this eating regimen is that it is hard to pursue.

Making It Easier

While there truly is no real way to make it simpler to screen pee yield, you can make the very tedious errand of feast arranging and checking your admission of the different supplements that are significant for kidney wellbeing by choosing a kidney diet formula cookbook or getting a supper arranging guide. The kidney stone eating routine might be redone somewhat dependent on your own body weight and interesting wellbeing factors, however by and large a cookbook or dinner arranging guide is an extraordinary beginning stage for making it simpler to pursue this eating regimen.

Tweaking Your Meals

You may need to work with a nutritionist or dietitian to get help redoing your dinners to pursue the kidney stone eating routine. You can talk about with your expert what your present dinners for the most part comprise of and in any event, get a couple of your preferred plans to a gathering or arrangement. The person in question might have the option to modify your plans and current suppers somewhat to assist them with conforming to the eating regimen. Some of the time making only some straightforward, fundamental changes can furnish you with advantageous outcomes. On the off chance that you can change your very own plans marginally to comply with the rules of the eating regimen, you will discover it far simpler to tail it.

Adapting New Recipes

The truth of the matter is that it can take a few changes on your part to become acclimated to another method for eating, however you will find that you before long start to get familiar with the wholesome substance of nourishment and can keep a running count of your day by day admission of these supplements in your mind or generally on a helpful sheet you keep near you for the duration of the day. When you take in a couple of new plans from the kidney stone eating regimen and join them into your eating routine, you will locate that following the eating regimen turns out to be a lot simpler.

The Do's and Don'ts of a Kidney Diet

In the event that you are experiencing a renal issue, for example, kidney stones, at that point you might be intrigued to realize that a kidney diet has a noteworthy influence in moderating unfriendly side effects and helping the kidney recuperate rapidly from the issue. While a few nourishments might be extremely nutritious and useful for the body, they may present significant issues to the kidneys over the long haul. In this manner, it is well-encouraged to eat dinners with some restraint and furthermore assessing the reasonableness of the eating regimen to your condition.

A kidney diet ought to maintain a strategic distance from calcium and phosphorous improved nourishments

Best case scenario, dietary changes, for example, shirking of calcium and phosphorous rich nourishments will become vital if certain kidney issues are at a basic stage. This applies for the most part to people who are in danger of building up a renal issue. The following are a portion of the do's and don'ts that you ought to think about when arranging your kidney diet.

Don'ts of a kidney diet

Ø  Don't utilize nourishment plans in your eating routine for renal infection which have significant amounts of mineral salts particularly oxalate salts from calcium, phosphorus, manganese. These mineral components can cause quicker kidney degeneration and extreme debilitation to kidney working.

Ø  Don't eat overabundance parts of nourishments which have high centralizations of immersed fats, for example, fries, burgers, and red meat or any prepared food sources.

Ø  Don't drink liquor, caffeinated beverages, or refreshments with high sugar content-both may exhaust the liver and exacerbate or cause degeneration of the kidney issue.

Ø  Don't expend sugary substances, for example, bites, deserts, or confections since they cause lack of hydration and exhaust the kidney simply like salts.

Ø   Do not take a wide range of common red meat in your kidney diet-hamburger, pork, bacon, or sheep and their choices singed, restored, or handled meats, rather search for lean white meat from poultry.

Ø  Do not utilize any counterfeit sugars while planning nourishments since they have no healthful advantages

Ø  Do not utilize margarine or mayonnaise however options, for example, avocado natural product on the off chance that you need to expend fat.

Ø   Do not eat a greater number of helpings than should be expected particularly with respect to indulgences, for example, fries, frozen yogurts, soft drinks, and other sweet nourishments an a wide range of prepared or canned nourishments

Ø  Don't devour a bigger number of starches than should be expected in your kidney diet and this incorporates such carbs like pasta, white rice, bread rolls, white sugar, white rice, and pasta.

Do's of a kidney diet

Ø  Do take enough liquids to keep centralization of minerals, for example, calcium and sodium on the kidney low. These will to guarantee legitimate kidney working, anticipate lack of hydration which is the basic reason for kidney stones in the renal cylinders, and detoxify the kidney also.

Ø  Do embrace a fair diet for renal illness which involves crisp vegetables, entire grains, and lean meat just as water. Greens and natural products plentiful in nutrients improve cell digestion and working of organs.

Ø  Do take fiber or consolidate fiber rich suppers and entire grains in your renal eating regimen which are low in carbs however advance general wellbeing and lift kidney working.

Ø  Do eat tolerably and create smart dieting propensities to guarantee that your body gets the correct stockpile of minerals and supplements.

Ø  Do eat vegetables and natural products as regularly as you can and join them in your kidney diet intend to help your resistance and cell digestion

Ø  Do utilize low-fat milk items, for example, milk powder on the off chance that you need to utilize them as opposed to utilizing milk with cream or fat.

Ø  Do utilize mono unsaturated fat or common fat when cooking and lower the measure of fat that you expend every day in your dinners.

Ø  Do grasp dynamic and energetic life to diminish heftiness or strange weight, help working of renal eating regimen, and advance great body digestion and kidney working. Exercise guarantees blood dissemination to kidney and lifts exercises, for example, detoxification and sifting.

Undertaking a kidney diet is significant to full recuperation from your kidney issue. Not holding fast to the do's and don'ts of a kidney diet could prompt the drawing out or intensifying of the renal issue. Look for a specialist's recommendation before starting any kidney diet program. Good Luck!