Our kidneys are the filters of the body. When blood passes through the kidneys, fluid and minerals return to the body, and waste material is passed out with the urine. When you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), the ability to get rid of waste from the food you eat or drink is lost, and the waste starts to build up in your blood.
A kidney-friendly or renal diet helps minimize the amount of waste in the blood and decreases the amount of work the kidneys have to do. Protein, sodium, potassium and phosphorus are the main considerations of a renal diet.
If you have CKD, eating too much protein can irreversibly damage your kidneys. If your laboratory tests show that you have protein in your urine (proteinuria) or high blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, or both, eating less protein becomes very important.
Protein can come from animal sources – like beef, pork, poultry, eggs, fish, shellfish and dairy products – and plant sources, including beans, legumes and tofu. Protein powder supplements are usually made from whey or soy and are not recommended in a low-protein diet.
How much protein you need is determined by your stage of kidney disease, your weight, your urine protein results, whether or not you have diabetes, and your nutritional status. In general, CKD patients should limit their protein to about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your ideal body weight. For example: if your ideal body weight is 60 kg, your protein needs are: 60 kg x 0.8 g/kg = 48 grams of protein or less per day.
If your kidney function continues to decline further, limiting protein to 0.55-60 grams per kilogram of your body weight can help delay worsening of your kidney function. It can also help to get more plant-based proteins or to switch to a completely plant-based diet, as plants proteins break down to less urea than animal proteins. Protein also exists in limited amounts in fruits, starchy foods and grains (including rice), so that needs to be accounted for as well.