Dietary Impact on Potential Renal Acid Load in Chronic Kidney Disease
Loading...
Authors
Martin, Morgan
Issue Date
2024
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
acidic diet , Chronic kidney disease , diet acid load , Potential renal acid load , renal diet
Alternative Title
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stands out as one of the notable chronic health conditions globally, having an overall profound impact on public health. There are several established methods for mitigating the burden of this disease, one of them being through dietary intake. Traditional renal diets have remained the same for decades, with variable updates to adjust for advancements in research and modern approaches. An emerging area of particular interest is the acid-alkaline balance of the diet and how it impacts metabolic acidosis. This has been linked to a variety of health outcomes including hyperkalemia, hyperphosphatemia, osteoporosis, malnutrition and even worsening of CKD. Preliminary research suggests that a low-acid diet may be beneficial, but this dietary pattern is inconsistent with many of the traditional renal diet recommendations. This thesis investigates the traditional renal diet, how it came to fruition, and how it related to diet acid load. Of particular interest, people with kidney failure undergoing dialysis treatment have been generally advised to consume higher amounts of animal-based protein foods, which are major contributors of diet acid load, and limit high-potassium fruit and vegetables, which are major sources of base-forming compounds in the diet. To gain a better understanding of adherence to the traditional renal diet, and how it may contribute to metabolic acidosis in the dialysis population, people undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD) treatment were asked to complete 3-day food records. These were analyzed for dietary intake in regards to specific nutrients and food groups. Overall the participants were found to have acidic diets, with protein being the main contributor. However, suggesting a diet that lowers acid load by reducing protein contradicts the conventional renal recommendations, opening a discussion for revision on dietary management among CKD patients.