Tag: Phenylketonuria diet

According to the National Institutes of Health, phenylketonuria (PKU) affects approximately 1 in 25,000 newborns in the United States, making early dietary intervention critical for management. For individuals with this genetic disorder, understanding which foods should be avoided by people with PKU is the cornerstone of lifelong treatment to prevent the build-up of the amino acid phenylalanine.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, people with chronic kidney disease can benefit from a low-protein diet to reduce the workload on their kidneys and may delay kidney failure. A low-protein diet is a therapeutic dietary plan that restricts protein intake, focusing on fruits, vegetables, and grains instead of animal products and legumes. A common example would be a meal plan that centers on plant-based foods, incorporating limited portions of high-protein items.

According to multiclinic observations, the simplified PKU diet is easier to follow and can improve the quality of life for patients with phenylketonuria. This modern nutritional approach offers a more flexible method for managing the intake of the amino acid phenylalanine (Phe), moving away from the strict, complex counting required by the traditional diet.