How far is chicken suitable for a kidney patient?

A big question to all those kidney - treating people: Let us explore the possibility!

There is a varying diet plan for the patient and mainly depends upon the level of kidney damage. For instance, patients with early-stage kidney and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) will have different diet plans.

If you are diagnosed with kidney disease, your doctor will provide you with the best diet plan based on your suitability and need. The diet advised by the doctor will be considered a renal diet. A renal diet will boost kidney function to prevent any further kidney damage. There are majorly three different types of kidney diseases, as briefed below.

• Acute Kidney Disorder: When the kidney stops working immediately due to some sudden attack, it is called AKD.
• Chronic Kidney Disease: When the kidney disease persists for a longer period because a person felt very mild or no symptoms during the period. But at a later stage, it shaped as a CKD.
• Polycystic Kidney Disease: This disease is genetically inherited from the biological parents mostly, or in some cases, it may be caused due to infection in the kidney.

There are some nutrients that must be strictly avoided to prevent kidney damage which is discussed below:

• Sodium - In our daily food diet, salt has a major role as a regular ingredient that contains sodium, and kidneys cannot filter out the excess amount of salt, which cause blood level to rise. Limiting sodium consumption for less than 2,000 mg/day is advised to a kidney patient.
• Potassium - Potassium also increases blood levels. It is also recommended to limit the consumption of potassium to less than 2,000 mg/day.
• Phosphorus - A damaged kidney cannot remove the excess phosphorous accumulated. So a high level of consumption of more than 800 mg/day can cause the body to damage.
• Protein - Consumption of protein also needs to be limited, but a person undergoing treatment requires a good amount of protein for the energy needed.

Now, here arises the question, can kidney patients eat chicken! As we know, chicken contains a good amount of protein, i.e., 27gram in every 100 grams of chicken, as per the USDA data. We will explore the possibility based on the analysis and data below.

Skinless chicken and its effect on Kidney Patient

Fortunately, you have the best option of eating Skinless chicken because it contains a low amount of sodium, phosphorous, and potassium when it is compared to Skin-on chicken. Breast of skinless chicken contains very less quantity of phosphorous, potassium, and sodium. Apart from that, one must strictly avoid pre-roasted chicken as it already consumed a large quantity of sodium and phosphorous while frying and is also very unhygienic (a kidney patient strictly needs a hygienic and clean diet). We know the fact that protein in the desired amount is necessary for kidney patients because it is vital for maintaining health. The kidney patient needs to be very selective to choose skinless chicken as the best option for both. One more thing that must be considered is to avoid oily, spicy, junk food prepared from the chicken. All things discussed above is the solution to Can Kidney Patient Eat Chicken?

Comparatively, the Skinless chicken breast has less potassium, phosphorus, and sodium than skin-on chicken. As per the USDA data, every 84 grams of skinless chicken contains the described amounts of sodium, potassium, and phosphorous.

• Sodium (Na): 63 mg
• Potassium (K): 216 mg
• Phosphorus (P): 192 mg

Plant- Based Natural Protein - As an alternative to chicken for protein fulfillment in the body, one can eat plant-based protein. Plants like beans, nuts, grains, and legumes are rich sources of protein. Ayurveda strictly focuses on eating plant-based food, and even their medicines are prepared from natural herbs. Here, below we will describe some natural proteins and their supplemental facts-

Beans - Beans come from the Fabaceae family. It contains amino acids, which are the rich source of protein, a basic building block used to heal the deficiency and form new tissues like bone, hair, skin, and muscles. Various types of beans are given below:-

• Lima beans
• Garbanzo beans
• Navy beans
• Pinto beans
• Black beans
• Soybeans
• Kidney beans
• Red beans
• Black-eyed peas

Nuts - Nuts contain a good amount of protein, fats, fibers, and minerals, which are used to regulate body weight. It also contains unsaturated fats, which help in protection against heart disease.

Grains - Any type of grain is healthy and beneficial for the body because it contains complex carbohydrates and key vitamins for better body development. Most importantly, it is beneficial for heart disease.

Legumes - A very rich source of plant protein, contains a high amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and as the most important nutrient, it contains iron. It also promotes antioxidants in the body.

So, from the present analysis, one can conclude that a kidney patient can eat chicken, but that chicken must be completely skinless and hygienic as well.