Effects of Protein Foods on the Nutritional Status of Adults with Moderate Chronic Renal Failure

Abstract

This study compares the efficacy of low- protein foods, from cooked beef (diet A), smoked cat fish (diet B), cooked beef and smoked cat fish (diet C) and cooked beef, smoked cat fish and hulled steamed red cowpea pudding (diet D) ) on the energy intake, anthropometric indices, body mass index (BMI) and serum albumin of out- patient adults with moderate chronic renal failure(CRF). Thirty-two patients, 20males and 12 females with a mean age of 43.8+17.3 years were randomly distributed into four groups of eight patients each. Each group was placed on low protein diets, A, B, C and D respectively. Data collected at the baseline and at the end of the 6 months study were analyzed using range, means +S.D, percentages as summary indices and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to compare the changes in the initial and the final values between the groups. Compared to the situation at the commencement of the study and regardless of the food protein sources in the LP diets, all the groups of patients on the LP diets had increased energy intake, body weight, mid-upper arm circumference, BMI, serum albumin and the haematocrit valves. However, increase in energy intake (188.17+118.20kcal/day) and BMI (0.86±0.07) was significantly higher in the patients on the B diet compared to the corresponding values ranging from 99.34±46.70 to 141.63±127.80kcal/day and 0.12±0.09 to 0.43±0.03 in the patients on diets A, C and D respectively (P=0.031). All the patients also had increase in their serum albumin and packed cell volume ( PCV )values. Increase in the serum albumin (0.41±0.10g/dl) and PCV (1.43±0.37g/dl) of patients on diet B were significantly higher compared with the corresponding values ranging from 0.05±0.22g/dl to0.13±0.20g/dl in the patients on diet A, C and D respectively ( P=0.031) Improvement in the energy intake, anthropometric indices, BMI and serum albumin was significantly greater in the patients that were prescribed the B diet and lowest in the group prescribed the beef and cowpea diet. It is recommended that fish protein should appear more frequently as a source of protein in the diet of patients with CRF

Key Words: Efficacy of controlled intake, selected commonly eaten protein foods, chronic renal failure