Amino Acid and Keto Acid Diets for Therapy in Renal Failure

Abstract

Dietary therapy in renal failure should both minimize uremic toxicity and maintain optimal nutritional status. Although the administration of low protein diets ameliorates the uremic syndrome, at very low levels of kidney function marked protein restriction may not control uremic toxicity and may result in malnutrition. Using semisynthetic diets containing amino acids and keto acids to increase the efficiency of N utilization may maintain better nutrition while mitigating uremic symptoms and thus offers an alternative to dialysis therapy for uremic patients who retain a modicum of renal function. The use of amino acid and keto acid diets in renal failure and their mechanisms of action, optimal composition and therapeutic indications were presented.