Diet in renal failure

Such basic functions of the kidneys as metabolic, excretory, hematopoietic and ion-regulating largely depend on what material, roughly speaking, they have to deal with.

That is, the products that enter the body can have a rather negative effect even on healthy kidneys, and in the case of renal failure, additional irritation of the kidneys is generally unacceptable. Therefore, the diet plays not just an auxiliary role in treatment, but one of the decisive ones. The main function of the diet for renal failure is to prevent the breakdown of proteins contained in tissues and organize the most gentle mode of kidney function.

Renal failure is a condition in which all kidney functions are impaired, which in turn leads to a disruption of nitrogen, water and electrolyte metabolism in the body. This condition can be acute or chronic. In any case, the most important element of treating renal failure is diet. In this case, renal failure can be caused by various reasons, but regardless of this, the kidneys cannot cope with their function normally.

But of course, diet in this case cannot be the only method of treatment, since it is necessary to replace the functions of the kidneys that have been impaired, using medical procedures such as hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis. In case the functions of the kidneys cannot be restored, organ replacement is required. In case of kidney transplantation, diet is also mandatory.

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What is the diet for kidney failure?

In any case, when kidney function is impaired, restrictions on the amount of protein consumed in food are mandatory. But the question remains about how exactly to limit it, what protein content is optimal. Since it is impossible to allow the body to begin to destroy its own tissues to obtain protein for its own construction. With the possible variety of products that can provide the increased caloric content of the daily diet necessary for renal failure, it is very important to take into account that all these options can be limited by other diseases. For example, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis. Although it should be noted that basically all dietary rations are designed to be safe for the body as a whole.

In case of renal failure, the diet should be chosen in such a way that the patient eats tasty food. Due to the impairment of kidney function, taste preferences are greatly distorted, and one also has to give up salt and usual sugar substitutes, such as dried fruits and bananas. Therefore, one should try to diversify cooking with various sauces, dressings, spices, vegetables with a specific taste.

Diet 7 for kidney failure

When choosing a diet in case of renal failure, you can make up a diet individually for a particular patient. But at the same time, you can use existing schemes. The most common in use are dietary tables developed by Pevzner. Among them, dietary table No. 7 is recommended for renal failure. This table is designed for patients with impaired renal function. At the same time, diet No. 7 also has a more detailed division within itself depending on the stage and type of kidney disease. So there are dietary tables No. 7a, 7b, 7c, 7g and 7r.

Diet table No. 7 is prescribed to a patient with acute glomerulonephritis, which is in the recovery stage, or with chronic glomerulonephritis that is fading. This diet is also indicated for nephropathy in pregnant women.

This diet helps to facilitate the process of removing under-oxidized metabolic products and nitrogenous waste from the body, create a gentle regime for the kidneys and reduce arterial hypertension.

Of all the diets of the seventh group, this one is the richest in protein. Up to 80 g of protein is allowed, half of which can be of animal origin, 90 g of fat, about 450 g of carbohydrates, free liquid - 1 l. Salt - the amount of salt is limited to 6 g. The diet is quite high in calories - 2750 - 3150 kcal per day, which allows you to maintain the active work of all body systems.

Products must be cooked in boiled form, although frying after boiling is allowed. Food is chopped. Substances that irritate the cardiovascular and central nervous systems are not allowed.

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Diet for chronic renal failure

In chronic renal failure, the diet is selected depending on the patient's condition, the stage of failure development, and the duration of the last period of exacerbation. Most often, standard schemes are selected, which can then be adjusted depending on the needs of a specific patient.

But usually, for chronic renal failure, diet table No. 7 or 7a is chosen. Also, in some cases, diets No. 7, 7a, 7b are combined, using them alternately. Diet table No. 7a is prescribed in case of exacerbation of chronic renal failure processes. Such a diet is prescribed only for short periods of about a week. If chronic renal failure is in remission after an exacerbation, then diet No. 7b with a gradual transition to diet No. 7 will be more appropriate.

In any case, all dietary regimens for chronic renal failure are aimed at reducing protein intake to one degree or another to reduce azotemia, a gentle regime for the kidneys, and maintaining such a balance of protein in food so that, while reducing the load on the kidneys, the destruction of proteins in the body itself is not allowed.

Diet No. 7a is the most limited in protein composition, only 20 g of protein, 80 g of fat, 350 g of carbohydrates are allowed. Salt is limited to 2 g. The volume of liquid consumed, as with diet 7b, should be 200 - 300 ml more than the volume of urine excreted. The energy value of the diet is 2200 kcal. Food is boiled, fried, baked. Salt is strictly limited.

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Diet for acute renal failure

In acute renal failure, diet No. 7b is the most suitable. Although in this condition, especially in the initial stages, the patient may refuse to eat due to nausea, vomiting, and taste distortion, this is unacceptable because it can accelerate the breakdown of the body's own proteins.

When using diet 7b, it is still recommended to reduce the amount of potassium in it.

This diet is also designed to create a gentle regime for the kidneys, reduce blood pressure, improve urination and blood circulation, and promote the removal of nitrogenous waste and other metabolic products from the body.

The amount of proteins, salt and liquid in the diet is sharply limited. Proteins are 30-40 g, fats 80-90 g, carbohydrates 400-500 g. Salt is reduced to 2-3 g per day. The amount of daily liquid is calculated depending on how much urine the patient excretes per day. Thus, the amount of liquid consumed should be one glass more than the amount excreted.

The caloric content of food is approximately 2700 - 3000 kcal per day. Food is prepared without adding salt, salt is added to taste in the plate within the permitted volumes. Products can be boiled or baked.

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Diet menu for kidney failure

When creating a menu for patients suffering from renal failure and using a particular diet, an individual approach is always needed, calculating the amount of protein, balancing the diet, and observing the energy value of the products.

But in any case, it is possible to identify general trends and a list of acceptable products, which is not so limited in its diversity.

So, the diet menu for renal failure may include unsalted yeast pancakes, unsalted bread, egg dishes, but in very limited quantities, whole milk, sour cream, cream, yogurt. Both vegetable and animal fats are allowed, as well as all possible types of cereals with any method of their preparation. Fresh vegetables are allowed, with the exception of those that have a sharp taste or are hard on the kidneys, such as mushrooms, radishes, spinach. Vegetables and cereals can be served in the form of various soups with dressings of fried onions, sour cream, herbs. Various fruits and berries are also allowed in full. They can be prepared in the form of compotes, soups, kissels, jelly, jam. You can also eat honey and sweets that do not contain chocolate. It is allowed to drink all kinds of juices, decoctions (for example, rosehip decoction), tea, but not strong. Drinks such as coffee, cocoa, mineral water, artificially colored or very caustic drinks are completely excluded. As possible seasonings and spices, it is recommended to use cinnamon, vanilla, citric acid. As a result, you can use white (milk) or tomato sauce, vegetable and fruit gravy. But you should completely exclude such hot seasonings as horseradish, pepper, mustard.

Kidney Failure Diet Recipes

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Vegetarian borscht

Compound:

• Beetroot 1 pc
• Potatoes 2 pcs
• Onion 1 pc
• Carrot 1 pc
• White cabbage 300 g
• Tomato 1 pc.
• Water 1.5 l
• Sugar 0.5 g
• Sour cream, herbs for dressing to taste
• Add salt to the finished dish within the limits.

Wash the beets, peel them and place them in boiling water. Cook until half-ready. Then remove the beets from the broth, let them cool and grate them on a coarse grater.

Peel the onion, carrot and tomato, chop finely and simmer in oil.

Add peeled and diced potatoes to the boiling beetroot broth, add cabbage after 10 minutes. When the cabbage is cooked, add stewed carrots, onions and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, add sugar. Before serving, season the borscht with sour cream and herbs, you can add salt.

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Carrot cutlets

Compound:

• Carrots 500 g
• Semolina 100 g
• Sugar 1 tbsp.
• Salt to taste within the limits
• Sour cream and herbs for dressing to taste

Boil the carrots, cool, peel and grate on a fine grater. Then add 50 g of semolina, mix well, add sugar, add salt if desired. Form cutlets from the resulting mass and roll them in the remaining semolina. Fry in vegetable oil for 3 minutes on one side, then turn over to the other, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and fry for another 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and herbs dressing.

When choosing a diet for renal failure, it is worth basing it not only on the diagnosis itself, but also on the degree of renal failure, the acute or chronic stage of the disease, the calculation of the concentration of proteins in the food products themselves and at the same time the content of protein metabolism products in the blood, the general electrolyte balance, and the presence of concomitant diseases in the patient.

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What can you eat if you have kidney failure?

The kidney maintains the water balance in the body, controls the content of microelements, removes waste, including nitrogenous waste. When renal failure occurs, nutrition should be organized in such a way as to reduce to a possible minimum those substances in the body that the kidneys have to cope with, since their functions are impaired at this time.

However, it is important to maintain a healthy diet, provide the weakened body with the amount of energy it needs, and consume a large amount of vitamins and other useful substances.

Therefore, a diet for kidney failure involves the use of various fats, except for those that are poorly soluble and can have a negative effect on other organs (for example, mutton fat, palm oil). Also, food should be rich in carbohydrates. To do this, the diet should include various cereals, which are consumed boiled, as part of soups, in the form of casseroles and puddings.

Also, to ensure the necessary set of vitamins and fiber and caloric content, you should diversify your food with various vegetables, fruits, berries, and sweets. Vegetables should preferably be familiar. The same potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, leafy green vegetables, zucchini, and pumpkin are good choices. They can be used in vegetarian soups, stewed, boiled, fried, or steamed. Berries and fruits can be prepared as compotes, soups, jams, and mousses.

What should you not eat if you have kidney failure?

Since the main load on the kidney is the breakdown products of protein food, the main feature of the diet for renal failure is the maximum possible exclusion of protein products from the diet. Although it is not recommended to exclude them completely. It is important to take into account that such a restriction applies not only to proteins of animal origin, but also to plant proteins. Moreover, it is plant protein that is primarily limited.

In case of kidney failure, water retention in the body should not be allowed, therefore all food should be prepared without salt. This is due to the fact that salt contains sodium, which is closely associated with water retention and thus causes edema and hypertension, which is unacceptable for kidneys with impaired functioning.

Among other things, the kidneys also remove phosphorus from the body. Basically, phosphorus is contained in the same products as protein. But at the same time, some products that have a low protein content contain phosphorus in much greater quantities. In addition to the general load on the kidneys, which cannot rid the body of phosphorus in the normal mode, there is also a negative effect on the skeletal system. Since the increased content of phosphorus in the body leads to the removal of calcium from the bones and the development of diseases of the musculoskeletal system.

Renal failure is accompanied by general weakness, which in addition to the general load on the body can also be caused by a sharp increase in potassium in the blood, which is also not excreted normally due to impaired renal function. High concentrations of potassium cause muscle weakness. This is especially dangerous for the heart muscle and can cause not only heart rhythm disturbances, but also cardiac arrest. Therefore, potassium intake should be limited. This element is also found in protein products. Therefore, their restriction automatically reduces potassium intake. But it is also worth remembering about such products that at first glance should not pose a danger. The most famous and widespread source of potassium are the familiar bananas. Therefore, they should be avoided in the diet. You should also be careful with potassium-rich dried fruits, nuts, avocados, wheat and legumes.