Mineral content and adequacy of oral hospital diets offered to chronic kidney disease pre-dialysis patients

SummaryBackground & aimsThe diet for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has important clinical impact on the disease progression. This study determined the contents of Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Se in an oral hospital diet and a Oral Food Complement (OFC), prepared for CKD patients, with the adequacy quantified with respect to nutritional recommendations.MethodsSamples of the diet were collected in a Brazilian public hospital, with mineral determination by ICP-OES. The Dietary Reference Intake and specific nutritional recommendations for CKD patients were used to assess the nutritional adequacy.ResultsAbout 14.3% of the diets produced for CKD patients were analyzed. The levels of P, K, Mn and Na were over the recommendation, with Na exceeding the Upper Level. Inadequacy of Ca and Se were observed for all groups and ages. Inadequate values of iron were found for adult women. The combination of OFC with the diet was sufficient to provide adequate values of Fe, however, did not increase Ca and Se contents to adequate levels, and added unnecessary quantities of P, K and Na.ConclusionWith the exception of K and P the diets exhibited insufficient mineral contents and toxic levels of Na. Diet menus and OFC compositions need to be changed to meet the nutritional recommendations and support the clinical assistance of CKD patients and also contribute to the nutritional education of this group.