As published in the NIH; the NIH is encouraging people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to consider following a careful diet. They’re not seeking a summer body though.

The rare condition causes the kidney’s to be unable to carry out their role in cleansing the body of waste. The doctors understood that if perhaps the kidney isn’t able to function at as high a capacity, instead maybe they could take the load off the organ by introducing less toxins to the body. Researchers determined that a carefully timed and tailored low protein diet is able to help slow the disease’s advancement and delay dialysis. For people with CKD, it’s incredibly appealing to be able to preserve as much time as possible before symptoms become unwieldy.

Chronic kidney disease is a term to describe conditions in which the kidney’s failure causes irreversible damage. When the kidney functions properly, it removes the toxins and waste from food and waste, flushing them out through urination. However, the disease damages the organ’s ability to do its job, causing the body to be home to an excess of fluids and waste, which then have a ripple effect on other parts of the body. This can cause vitamin deficiency, jaundice, stunted growth, nausea, a small appetite, tiredness, weakness, liver diseases or enlargement, changes in urination habits, itching, muscle twitching and cramping, feet swelling, high blood pressure, persistent itching, and shortness of breath. CKD can be triggered by a number of diseases that inhibit kidney functioning, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Over time, the disease progresses to more severe complications. CKD can be controlled using blood pressure or cholesterol medications, vitamins, and later, dialysis or a transplant.

The new study shows that a tailored diet, begun early and strictly adhered to by the patient, can have very real effects on the progression of the disease. The general diet consists of low amounts of protein, paired with supplements such as calcium, ketoanalogues of amino acids, and Vitamin D. These vitamins help parts of the metabolism function and can cut out some of the toxins more likely to buildup and cause issues. They also recommended patients avoid too much salt and phosphorus, which can cause an imbalance and instead contribute to the disease’s progression.