Proteins are complex organic molecules made of amino acid chains. The body uses these chains to build and maintain muscles, organs, and glands.
When the body breaks down protein it produces a waste product called urea. This waste product is usually filtered out by the kidneys and expelled from the body in urine.
Patients experiencing kidney failure must be careful about the amount and type of protein they consume because the kidneys are no longer doing a good job of removing urea.
If too much urea builds up in the body it can cause serious illness. Patients must be sure to get enough protein however, because without protein the body is not able to perform propermuscle maintenance.
Before kidney patients begin dialysis treatments, they are usually told to follow a low-protein diet.
However, once dialysis treatment begins, a renal dietician will usually tell the patient to consume large amounts of high quality protein, otherwise known as complete protein.
While many plants do supply protein, high quality proteins are mainly found in meat and eggs.
