How many kidney disease patients are limiting their diets to plant based (vegetarian)? I did, and my GFR is almost normal.

[geewhiz]

Kidneys are still damaged but swtching to vegetarian reduces load through diet. Rduce sodium, calories, Potassium, Phosphourus to limits enforced through diet will help damged kidneys to be able to function well enough to maintain normal GFR etc.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador]

My PD put me on a CKD diet which limits potassium, phosphorus, sodium and protein. It has helped my CKD, and still get needed nutrients. I have been on diet for 5+years. I am 82 years old.

[SN23]

That is great news. And yes I believe in the power of plant based diet. It helps to reduce the load on the kidneys. Of course, one must make adjustments according to labs. For example, my son switched to kale (lower potassium) from spinach till his potassium became midline again.

[Bassetmommer NKF Ambassador]

I did strict PB diet for about a year and half. Prior to that, I was doing mostly veggies for a long time but I was eating chicken and eggs, but mainly veggies. But because I have high potassium, I was not getting enough protein with just PB because I was so limited. So I added back in chicken and some fish once in awhile and eggs once in a while. I felt better.

I stayed off dialysis for 6 years.

[Miss-guineapig in reply to Bassetmommer]

I do similar to you Bassetmommer, chicken, eggs and some plant base. Wishing you well x

[MoeAndMoot]

Hi Gee, I don't eat a lot of animal protein (potassium, phosphorus, and sodium issues) and could definitely move more towards a veggie based diet. Since I monitor my protein, I still eat egg whites and vegan cheeses and oat milk. But your idea is a good one and I may try to do more of it. Thanks.

[CuriousCKD]

may I ask what your GFR was before you switched to plant based foods? I think it is wonderful that you were able to accomplish this feat! 👏🏼👏🏼

[userotc]

Well done but it may not be necessary to limit protein, at least for ckd 3 where most people are, according to recent research. Report available.

And vegetarian diets can also present problems so at least care may be needed.

[Bet117 NKF Ambassador in reply to userotc]

It's up to the individual person as to what they choose and what works for them. Sometimes portion control and mixtures of things are best.

Glad Mum is doing well.

[userotc in reply to Bet117]

I've now inserted 3 after ckd as I missed it! So the main point of my reply was to alert relevant ckd patients to recent research indicating protein reduction may be unnecessary. Otherwise totally agree do what works for you.Thanks for your best wishes for mum. She's currently got shingles following a recent bout of covid!. So not pushing for overdue kidney tests as they're likely to be affected. Take care

[kellyscats1 in reply to userotc]

Oh I dont want shingles...will get the new vaccine after my knee... nw that medicare covers it...... got the new covid and flu vaccine... regarding diet. I am lucky my labs have stayed about the same in my forties for years.. I am a vegetarrian because i love animals and as someone once said.. i dont eat my friends.. i do eggs occasionally.. no problem with potassium phosphorus..no diabees so jely beans are great..

Shingles suck.. grrrr

[userotc in reply to kellyscats1]

Re shingles, are you aware of a good forum that discusses it besides the one below?

Re getting a vax for shingles, its only available here on the NHS between ages 70-79 so mum doesnt qualify yet otherwise we can pay privately ~£450. But we'll likely first do a risk/benefit analysis which should be done for any medical intervention.

patient.info/forums/discuss...

[kellyscats1 in reply to userotc]

Oh... you are in the UK...oh my..my son who is 51 got it his vaccine year thru his insurance.. free. i think 50 is the age they recommend now...It used to be about 150 per shot with a series of 2...this year it changed to free....I did get the original shinges vaccina several years ago before shngrix but not as good.. what i do know is that everyone who has received it feels like crap for 2 days... far better than shingles..and you can get shingles more than once,, it is horrible..I have a hope that ne day ... when everyone is vaaccinated against chicken pox there will no longer be a need..I have seen patients suffer for year with it.. i m so sorry for your mom..wow over 70.. that is criminal..

I would nt bother to do labs yet either.. it is so painful//good luck

"he federal health minister recently announced that from the 1st of November 2023, the recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, sold as Shingrix) will be made available under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for free to patients over 65 years old, First Nations People over 50 and immunocompromised people 18 years and ...

[userotc in reply to kellyscats1]

With my rba, I'm less concerned about the short-term eg 2 day, adverse effects and more about longer term. Not sure yet whether the original shingles vax was taken off the market for that reason or another. But an investigation of that would be part of rba.

Deffo no ckd labs yet. Her medics have been tardy anyhow (not done for 1y) but COVID followed by shingles will not doubt have messed up her eGFR etc.

[phebamom]

We raise grass fed beef. I told that to the kidney doctor after she told me to become vegetarian with eggs, milk, nuts, beans as protein source. After two weeks on new diet my GFR went from 30 to 36, Creatinine dropped from 1.81 to 1.51. She told me my kidneys could not process the creatinine. Here's the thing. I never cared for meat. Chicken tastes like feathers, and I despise turkey. I would eat hamburger in casseroles, tacos, etc. I did not realize how much hamburger I ate until I stopped eating it.