Dietary Attention In Diabetic Nephropathy

Apart from timely treatment, diabetic nephropathy patients also need to follow a proper diet which is very beneficial for the rehabilitation of illness. Well, what is the diet for diabetic nephropathy patients?

If diabetes patients do not control blood sugar timely, it can cause various acute and chronic complications such as eye disease, kidney disease, coronary heart disease, vasculopathy and neuropathy. Once complications occur, it will increase the difficulty of the treatment and worsen the condition. Therefore, diabetes patients should accept dietary therapy and medical therapy as well as take regular exercise to monitor blood sugar and prevent the occurrence of complications.

Protein intake

As for patients with kidney dysfunction, patients should control the intake of plant protein so as to reduce the burden on the kidneys. In addition, patients should choose some high quality protein foods like milk, eggs, fish to meet the body need.

Limit sodium intake

Diabetic nephropathy also need to limit sodium intake. Sodium intake in daily diet should be less than 3g. What’s more, low sodium intake is also important for blood pressure control.

Carbohydrate intake

The recommended carbohydrate intake is 50-60% of the total calories consumed. Excessive carbohydrate intake should be avoided as far as possible owing to its blood glucose control issues.

Potassium intake

Potassium is involved in the contraction and relaxation of muscles in the human body and is an essential electrolyte. However, when kidney function decreases, excess potassium cannot be easily excreted and is accumulated in the body, creating a burden. Therefore, potassium intake should be limited in chronic kidney disease or in the case of hyperkalemia. Potassium is mainly found in vegetables and fruits. Thus, the intake of coarse grains and vegetables should be limited and should be soaked in water for more than 2 hours and then blanched in boiling water before cooking.

Phosphorus intake

In declined kidney function, the amount of phosphorus that is removed through the kidneys decreases and the phosphorus level in blood increase. As the blood levels increase, skeletal calcium levels decrease causing bone disease. Therefore, it is also necessary to reduce the intake of high phosphorus foods.

Fat intake

It is necessary to take a proper amount of fat for preventing malnutrition and lack of caloric intake arise when protein and carbohydrate are restricted.

A chronic kidney disease or diabetic nephropathy diet should be planned to delay the progression of kidney disease. However, a personalized diet plan and continuous monitoring are required in diabetic nephropathy patients according to patients’ stage of disease.