Balanced Diet for patients on hemodialysis treatment

Patients on dialysis have to be vigilant in maintaining healthy diet when on dialysis, for example watching the food they eat and the amount of liquids they drink.

The following summarizes the importance of balanced diet required for patients on haemodialysis.

What is Haemodialysis?

Haemodialysis is a treatment option available for patient who have Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), whereby their kidneys have stopped working and a Dialysis machine using a special filter called Dialyzers (artificial kidneys) are used to cleanse the waste from the blood. This is usually done for few hours a day, several times a week.

Why is diet so important?

When kidneys do not function normally, you lose the ability to get rid of the waste (such as sodium, potassium, phosphorus and urea) which builds up in the body. A balanced diet suited to dialysis patients can reduce the amount of waste that gets accumulated in the body.

We are all different in terms of our size, weight, kidney function and age. A renal dietician can help you find foods that you like and are healthy for you, can also help you understand about the kinds of food you can eat and liquids you can drink.

Why do I need to understand about my fluid intake?

When kidneys stop working, we produce less urine, which means the less urine our body produces, the less fluids we can drink. Too much fluid intake can be dangerous as this can cause other complications in our body such as high blood pressure, heart failure, shortness of breath because of fluid build-up in our lungs.

What are body wastes?

Sodium

Sodium is a natural mineral found in majority of our foods. The role of the kidney is to get rid of extra sodium from our body to make sure right balance is achieved. Excessive amount of sodium in our diet makes us thirsty. This mineral is hidden in most foods and it is also used as a preservative. Hence low sodium diet is paramount. Examples of foods high in sodium are: table salt, ham, cheese, fast foods, pickles, crisps and may more.

Potassium

Potassium is another mineral found in majority of foods. Kidneys not working well need limited amount of potassium as too much can cause irregular heartbeat. Examples of food high in potassium are: milk, beans, yoghurt, bananas, dried fruits, potatoes, tomatoes and many more.

Phosphorus

This is another mineral that is found in majority of foods and build up is possible in people with kidney dysfunction. Too much of phosphorus in the blood can deplete calcium in the bones, hardening of plaque around heart and blood vessels. Usually doctors will prescribe medication called “phosphorus binder” which will collect phosphorus from the food we eat and eliminate in the stool, preventing the absorption in the blood. Foods rich in phosphorus are: milk, cola drinks, cheese nuts (except peanuts), chocolate, yoghurt and many more.

Urea

This is a waste product from eating protein and it is normally filtered from the blood by the kidneys. Patients suffering from CKD, tend to have urea built up and too much protein in the blood can cause sickness and nausea. However proteins are needed to regenerate and preserve our body, but the amount consumed by patients depends on their kidney function and body size. Foods rich in protein are: eggs, chicken, milk, bread, corn and cooked rice.

Why do we need Erythropoietin (EPO) during Haemodialysis?

When kidneys stop working, they stop producing hormone erythropoietin (EPO), very crucial hormone in making red blood cells. Lack of red blood cells is also called Anaemia.

Summary

It is very important that a healthy diet is maintained in patients who are on haemodialysis. A renal dietitian in any dialysis clinic/hospital, will help you to determine your dietary requirements. People with CKD have to watch what they eat and drink, avoid salty foods which are high in sodium content, too much fluids can be dangerous in terms of blood pressure and heart failure. In addition to this, they have to avoid food rich in potassium and phosphorus.