nutrition

It’s common knowledge that protein is a very important part of everyone’s diet. It promotes muscle growth and recovery from injury. It may not be common knowledge that people suffering from kidney or renal conditions should carefully monitor how much protein they get. They’ll need more than the common amount – about two grams daily for each kilogram of their body weight.

Let’s start with a basic definition. Kidneys are a pair of organs whose job is to filter all your blood and remove any waste. They also manufacture and release hormones that keep your blood pressure steady and regulate the number of red blood cells in your body. As the blood in your bloodstream passes through your kidneys, the waste materials are removed and sent to your bladder to be later expelled from the body. In a single hour, a pair of healthy kidneys processes more than 18 gallons of blood. In a single day, that adds up to about 432 gallons of blood. Kidneys filter more than half of all of the fluids in your body and can eliminate more than two quarts of urine per day.

There are approximately 26 million people in the United States living with chronic kidney disease today and millions more who are at risk of developing it. This is a dangerous and serious disease that should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible to prevent a rapid progression. It works by reducing, and eventually eliminating, the ability of the kidneys to filter waste products from the bloodstream. In time, the kidneys fail entirely, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant. Factors that create a higher risk of chronic kidney disease include diabetes, hypertension and family history. Groups of people who have a higher incidence of kidney disease include those of African-American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander or Native American descent.

There are many types of allergies that people face, including allergies to foods. A food allergy is triggered when the immune system starts reacting to a compound in the food, most typically a protein. In addition to outright allergies, there are intolerances that may not involve the immune system at all. Common symptoms of a food allergy include bloating, headaches, hives or diarrhea. Severe reactions are a medical emergency and should be addressed by going to the emergency room. Anyone who has severe food allergies should have this information readily available and should also consider whether they need to keep an Epi-pen on hand for emergencies.