Short Answer: Eggs are good for CKD in moderation. Because they have high-quality protein, choline, and animal protein, and they can help preserve kidney function, prevent malnutrition, and lower the risk of heart disease.
CKD is a condition that affects your kidneys.
In CKD, your body cannot filter out the waste products and excess fluids from your blood properly.
This can lead to various health problems, such as high blood pressure, anemia, bone disease, and cardiovascular disease.
One of the key factors in managing CKD is diet.
What you consume can affect your kidney function, which can impact your CKD symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage CKD, you should consume protein, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium rich foods in moderation and avoid foods that are high in these nutrients.
You should also limit your intake of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Now, eggs are a type of animal food that are rich in protein and cholesterol.
People usually eat them boiled, scrambled, fried, or as an ingredient in other dishes.
Eggs are good for CKD in moderation because they contain high-quality protein, which is essential for maintaining muscle mass and preventing malnutrition.
They also contain choline, which may help lower homocysteine levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
One large egg can give you about 6 grams of protein (12% of your daily needs), 186 mg of cholesterol (62% of your daily needs), 95 mg of phosphorus (10% of your daily needs), 69 mg of sodium (3% of your daily needs), and 69 mg of potassium (2% of your daily needs).
Protein can help preserve kidney function and prevent inflammation in CKD.
However, too much protein can also increase the workload of the kidneys and worsen kidney damage.
Therefore, you should follow your doctor’s advice on how much protein you need per day.
Cholesterol can increase the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease, which are common complications of CKD.
Therefore, you should limit your intake of cholesterol and saturated fat to less than 200 mg and 10% of your total calories per day, respectively.
Phosphorus, potassium, and sodium are minerals that are important for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
However, in CKD, the kidneys may not be able to excrete them properly, leading to high levels in the blood.
This can cause bone loss, muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat, edema, and high blood pressure.
Therefore, you should limit your intake of these minerals to the recommended amounts based on your blood test results and your doctor’s advice.
Furthermore, eggs are a source of animal protein and animal protein is good for CKD in moderation.
Because, animal protein contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs and may help lower the risk of proteinuria (protein in the urine), which is a sign of kidney damage.
You can eat one or two eggs per day safely, depending on your protein and cholesterol needs.
More than that can cause high blood cholesterol, high phosphorus, high potassium, and high sodium levels, which can worsen your CKD and increase your risk of complications.
Also, you shouldn’t eat eggs if you have high blood cholesterol, high phosphorus, high potassium, or high sodium levels to prevent further damage to your kidneys and heart.
Because, eggs contain high amounts of these nutrients and can aggravate your condition.
You can buy fresh eggs in your local market or can order them from online.
Always choose eggs that are clean, uncracked, and have a USDA grade shield on the carton.
Because, these indicate that the eggs are safe, fresh, and of good quality.
You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing CKD effectively.
I always recommend my CKD patients to follow a CKD-friendly diet to improve their overall well-being, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.