Nephrology & Therapeutics

Renal Nutrition

Renal nutrition is concerned with the special nutritional needs of kidney patients. Renal nutrition is concerned with ensuring that kidney patients eat the right foods to make dialysis efficient and improve health. Dialysis clinics have dieticians on staff that who help patients plan meals. Standard guidelines are: eating more high protein foods, and less high salt, high potassium, and high phosphorus foods. Patients are also advised on safe fluid intake levels.

Most patients on haemodialysis need to adjust their diet. The major change in diet is usually a reduction in foods high in potassium, phosphate and sodium (salt). The dietician will give you individual guidance about how to achieve you dietary needs. Assessment of dietary intake, especially protein, is monitored from time to time to ensure an adequate protein and calorie intake, which is an important part of maintains a good quality of life and good health. However, if you are overweight an attempt to achieve an ideal body weight may be undertaken working within the restrictions of a renal diet.