As we all know, Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is one type of genetic
disease, and it is hard to treat it completely. Although there's no cure for PKD
yet, what you eat can have a real effect on how fast the condition progresses.
This is why a kidney support diet or "renal diet" is generally considered the
best natural treatment for polycystic kidney disease. A well planned diet can
control the symptoms of PKD, keeping your kidneys healthy for longer. In fact,
you may be able to delay kidney dialysis until your late fifties or even avoid
it completely.
It's important to start early, though. If you suspect you carry the
polycystic kidney disease gene, but haven't had symptoms of the disease, start
following a renal diet anyway. Eating right before you show symptoms is the most
effective way to use diet to slow the progression of PKD. Here are a few tips to
get you started.
Reasonable diets slow down the development of PKD: 1, in general, eating less
protein can help your kidneys, but there's one protein you may want to get a
little more of. The results of a study published in the Journal of the American
Society of Nephrology in 1999 showed that dietary soy protein can slow the
progression of PKD in rats. Rats fed soy as their main protein source had lower
kidney weights and fewer cysts compared to those fed casein. Keep in mind,
though, that you'll be better off with traditional fermented soy products like
tofu, miso, and tempeh. Non-fermented soy products like soy milk and soy-based
protein bars have been shown to cause health problems of their own. 2, When
your liver breaks down protein, it produces a waste product called urea, which
your kidneys are responsible for getting rid of. That means excess protein in
the diet puts a strain on the kidneys.
Track how much protein you eat on an average day and if you discover you're
getting more than the USDA Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of 8 grams of
protein per kilo of body weight (about .4 grams per pound), try to cut back. Eat
less meat, cheese, and even a little less of the higher protein beans and
legumes like chickpeas and lentils. Use vegetables and grains for your main
dishes and if you need extra calories, add healthy fats like avocados and olive
oil.A low protein diet can make a dramatic difference. According to a study
published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, a well managed
low protein diet can give PKD patients an average of nearly one year without
dialysis in cases where dialysis would have been needed had there been no
dietary intervention.Flax seed oil has also been show to help ease the symptoms
of PKD. Flax oil is an excellent source of a group of fatty acids (omega-3-fatty
acids) that are thought to have anti-hypertensive, lipid-lowering and
anti-inflammatory effects. All of these benefits can help with PKD.
