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LOW PROTEIN or VERY LOW PROTEIN
	"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-- Of cabbages--and kings-- And why the sea is boiling hot-- And whether pigs have wings."
SAVING FAILING KIDNEYS HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM GETTING ADEQUATE PROTEIN? ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS CRANBERRIES SOY IF I EAT A DIET WHICH BRINGS MY (urinary) pH 6.5 - 7.5, WILL I BE ON A LOW PROTEIN DIET? ANIMAL PROTEINS HELPFUL FOOD LINKS PROVIDED BY OTHERS

I HAVE CYSTIC ORGANS
WHAT CAN I DO

PKDiet was first begun to lessen pain from PKD and PLD. Through careful observation, eliminating foods that increased symptoms such as bloating, measurable girth, pain, and other symptoms, an evolutional process created PKDiet. The fruition of this ongoing project has shaped an alkaline diet geared toward healthy cystic liver and kidneys. PKDiet is alkaline, vegan, limits animal proteins to a neutral protein balance and, through alkalinity, there is an expected lowering of body acids: uric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, lactic acid; creating a friendlier environment for diminishing cyst growth.

All the following diets seem similar in many respects: gout diets, low oxalate diets, alkaline diets, neutral protein diets. PKDiet has been designed through our mutual experiences with continued feedback from our bodies, observing, by trial and error, which foods make us feel better and which foods make us feel worse. We are in ready anticipation of a future date when clinical trials will begin, coupling PKDiet with potassium (or sodium) citrate to prove its effectiveness in diminishing cyst size, cyst numbers, increasing renal perfusion and prolonging kidney and liver health.

SAVING FAILING KIDNEYS

An article from the 2006 Malaysian Star documents that kidney patients eating diet eliminating all animal proteins have been successful in slowing down proteinuria, an early symptom of diminished kidney functioning. This treatment provides a possible alternative to costly dialysis and or transplant. Several doctors from around the world,  China (Prof. Lin), France (Prof. Aparicio), USA (Mackenzie Walser, MD), Mexico (Teplan MD), India (Prakash MD) and Hungary have announced similar conclusions : Individuals with nephrotic syndrome can slow down their disease if they begin -

1. Low Protein Diet dropping the protein to 0.6 or Very Low Protein - 0.3 grams/kg
2. Eliminate animal proteins low phosphorus low sodium
3. Essential amino acids supplements (Gambro or Calwood) check with your doc before implementing.
4. ACE inhibitors for blood pressure control check with your doc before implementing.
5. Alkalize i.e. sodium citrate, potassium citrate check with your doc before implementing.
6. Correct anemia and take a few well chosen other supplements check with your doc before implementing.

It seems, out of desperation from sky rocketing health care costs, comes some simple solutions. If individuals lowered protein intake, proteinuria dropped 30%. With ACE inhibitors alone, proteinuria dropped 40%. Combining both treatments, proteinuria dropped 90%. A Chinese study is ongoing involving 18,000 individuals at 17 centers. The beauty of this is that it is never too late to begin. We with cystic organs have the opportunity to discover what diminishes symptoms and prolongs our health.

Some researchers have discovered that as kidney failure progresses the protein intake needs to be dropped to 0.3 grams VLPD (very low protein diet).  According to Prof Aparicio  (Bordeaux France), it has been calculated that each 0.2g decrease in protein intake slows down the progression of kidney failure by 29%. Low protein diets are supplemented with only the essential amino acids designed for kidney health by (Gambro or Calwood). The world’s largest manufacturer of ferments for making keto-acids is Ajinomoto. By eliminating animal proteins, this lightens the load on the kidneys, lowers uric acids and blood urea nitrogen BUN, an indicator of kidney health. Here is one possibility to extend life expectancy where dialysis or transplant is not economically feasible.

Within the USA, Hawaii has the longest life expectancy of any state yet there we have a 30% higher rate of kidney disease. Individuals with kidney disease are living longer. Now we are seeking an even greater quality of life. Some individuals miss eating familiar protein dishes, but once supplementing with essential amino acids, these cravings seem to lessen.

Gambro’s amino acids come in capsules and the taste has a way of repeating itself. Many find its capsule format easy to take. Its capsule form makes it convenient for travel. It is designed to easily slide down the throat and to be taken with a minimum of fluid, helpful for individuals that are fluid restricted. Calwood’s amino acids are available in cherry, grape, orange powders that mix with liquid. There is also a chewable candy, very sweet and artificial tasting. Calwood's EAA's contain artificial sweeteners to mask their smell and taste.

If one uses another form of amino acids from a health food store, these contain additional, non-essential amino acids. By taking non-essential amino acids muscle breakdown begins. The end product from muscle breakdown together with continued consumption of animal proteins, triggers a rise in waste products, an elevation in BUN blood urea nitrogen, a rise in urine proteins, and an increase in body acid production.  Soy, whey, grain, and nut powders in addition to containing non-essential amino acids, also contain high amounts of phosphorus contributing further to the buildup of nitrogen waste products. Elimination increases the kidneys' workload. Essential amino acids EAA supplements is one way to supply the body with sufficient protein (building blocks) while eating low phosphorus and low potassium foods. Dropping the intake of protein while supplementing with EAA essential amino acids has the added benefit of raising serum albumin.
Here is the formula of the essential amino acids from Calwood

A few articles :
EAA - Saving Failing Kidneys - Malaysian Star
EAA - Randomized trial evaluate predialysis EAA - Prakash
EAA - Supplemented low protein safe? - Aparicio
EAA - Antioxidant effects of low protein Diet - Aparicio
EAA - Nephrology in China - Lin
EAA - Coping with kidney disease - Walser
EAA - Effect ketoconazole ESRD - Walser
EAA - Evidence report appropriate preparation renal replacement therapy - Walser
EAA - Low Protein PreDialysis on albumin - Walser
EAA - Can renal replacement be deferred? - Walser
EAA - Nutritional outcome VLPD - Walser
EAA - Treatment EAA - Bergstrom
EAA - Double blind EAA for dialysis - Walser
EAA - Bibliography of sev papers - Walser
EAA - Aminess N spec sheet - Gambro
EAA - Influence of amino acids on chronic renal failure.
EAA - Reducing protein intake reduces renal death by 40%
ACE - Pentoxiflylline CRF- Lin
ACE - Losartane ESRD - Seng
VLPD - Foods to eat from this list I would eliminate beer, wine, potatoes, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, strawberries, and cream.
VLPD - Foods to limit from this list I would include spelt, (7) almonds, brown rice

A few links :
Gambro makes essential amino acids
Calwood Homepage. Type in the word Nutrasentials
Calwood Nutritional's, Inc.
5331 Landing Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
(800)479-9942
(410)796-5560
(410)796-7559 fax

protein testing albustix are available 100 for $27.99 through Canada
Coping With Kidney Disease website

HOW CAN I BE SURE I AM GETTING ADEQUATE PROTEIN?

With healthy cystic kidneys, it is 0.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Groups have calculated the optimum amount of protein needed to keep the body neither gaining weight nor losing muscle mass. This is called neutral nitrogen balance. Better proteins are vegetable proteins.

The following is a formula to calculate your daily intake of protein. If you weigh 156 pounds, divide this by 2.2 (pounds per kilogram). This will give you 70 kilograms. Multiply 70 kilograms by 0.6 (grams of protein per kilogram). This will give you 42.5 grams of protein or 43 grams. To calculate the amount of protein in certain food items go to PROTEIN CALCULATOR NAT 2 [a separate window will open]

A large glass of carrot juice has 5 grams of protein so does an egg. Salad Mallow has 10 grams of protein in a 100 gram portion. Once dialysis begins the protein requirement to stay in a neutral nitrogen balance may change. Some say it increases others have tried decreasing it to 0.3 grams /kilogram of body and supplementing with essential amino acids from Gambro or Calwood. Excess protein is converted to sugar and sugar is stored as fat.

If you are a vegan —Cabbage contains all the essential amino acids. I juice cabbage regularly with 5 almonds. In addition to adding anti-oxidants, the almonds also adds additional essential fatty acids which facilitates the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins. Amino acids are components which make up a protein. The body is unable to manufacture essential amino acid; they must be ingested daily.

To give you an idea of how much protein to eat, my requirement is 31 grams. I found (that by making dietary changes to exclude dairy, exclude soy, and exclude many animal products) I still had to be careful not to exceed my daily protein requirement. Vegetables have sufficient protein, especially while juicing abundant amounts of raw vegetables. CAUTION if you must restrict potassium, or phosphorus, check with your dietitian which foods are appropriate for you.

Cranberries

If you enjoy meat regularly, the dietary changes must be done slowly by first adding cranberry juice to the diet to bind ammonia and change it to ammonium. Ammonia is a nitrogen based buffer produced to neutralize a heavy ingestion of protein type of foods. Northland brand of 100% juice cran-raspberry, cranberry-peach, cran-orange, cran-grape, cran-apple, cran-blackberry are all pretty tasty. I dilute them with 1 ounce of spring water to 2 ounces of juice. 2 ounces of fresh cranberry juice can be made from raw or frozen cranberries alone or by combining the juice with apples or other favorite fruits. I dilute both of these juices with 1 ounce of mineral water.

Within a weeks time you may notice, a beautifying and softening of your skin a resulting side effect results from drinking cranberry juice diluted with water. An anecdotal piece of medical wisdom has at last won scientific confirmation: cranberry juice helps clear urinary infections! Cranberries, lingonberries, and blueberries are among the rare fruits which are acid producing. Drinking the juice from these fruits has lowered the number of bladder and kidney infections. The cranberry has a substance in it which prevents the bacteria from sticking to the cell wall. This substance helps to counteract any micro-hemorrhages that may occur within the bladder and kidney. This is perfect for polycystic kidney disease. For a long time Dr. Grantham (Kansas University) has made the observation that there seems to exist an inflammation of the polycystic kidney which leaves behind some residual scar tissue within the kidney itself. This appears to be present in early in individuals with polycystic kidney disease PKD.

To be assured that I receive the potential benefits from cranberry juice, II drink 2 ounces of cranberry juice diluted with one ounce of mineral water. I have observed that my urine remains an alkaline pH of 6.5 to 7.5. I feel I am drinking almost a medicinal amount of freshly squeezed cranberry juice. On such occasions when I am experiencing stress from travel, jet leg, tiredness, or going to see the doctor, I will juice some extra citrus fruit— a lemon, an orange, or a grapefruit or kumquats, to assist my urine to remain basic (slightly toward a pH of 6.5 to 7.5). I have been using non-alcoholic organic nettle extract which in addition to alkalizing the urine also decreases uric acid. Uric acid is known to be elevated with PKD. A researcher who has been exclusively researching blueberries and cranberries says her studies show that cranberry is alkaline forming. For interesting web site try Cranberry and Blueberry research.

Along with cranberry juice, try adding cooked vegetables to one meal; raw may be too drastic a change for a 100% meat eater. Perhaps the first week have one all vegetarian meal, the second week have two days of all vegetarian meals until you have slowly made the transition gradually to where you are eating one or two meals a week which contain animal products and the other meals are vegetarian.