Implications to Creatinine Levels

[tangerine]

Hi! Just curious. My last complete work-up (January) before Whole 30 yielded okay levels of everything. But should there be concern about higher creatinine levels (which may not be a problem now but perhaps when one is older may lead to kidney stress)  because of the role protein plays in the Whole 30 approach?  Thanks.

[missmary]

The whole30 isn't really very high in protein. One palm-size serving of protein 3 times per day is well within the amounts your body can handle. I would worry about protein causing kidney stress if you were a body builder taking lots of supplemental protein (like powders and shakes), but not in a person eating real food in appropriate portions.

[Tom Denham]

Netdoctor says, "The most common reasons for developing raised creatinine levels will be when the filtration mechanism becomes gradually damaged by long-term raised blood pressure or diabetes." Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/liverandkidney/203337.html#ixzz3VgXuEiJ9 So the concern is not whether you eat eggs and beef every day. The concern is blood pressure and diabetes. 

[tangerine]

Thanks for the responses. This is helpful. i have a history of both hypertension and diabetes, which is probably why I should watch these levels anyway now and in the future. Also why I went on a weight loss program a year ago. Losing 45 lbs has helped reduce medications for both conditions ---- and now going on the Whole 30 program will hopefully help in the ultimate goal of eliminating them all.

[Camilla]

@Tom

 

Netdoctor says, "The most common reasons for developing raised creatinine levels will be when the filtration mechanism becomes gradually damaged by long-term raised blood pressure or diabetes." Read more: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/liverandkidney/203337.html#ixzz3VgXuEiJ9 So the concern is not whether you eat eggs and beef every day. The concern is blood pressure and diabetes. 

 

(The following are Canadian measures and ranges!)

 

I have LOW blood pressure (90/60) and no diabetes, no extra weight (BMI 20.5). I have never had high creatinine until I did the W30. My post-W30 bloods showed it had gone from the 54 – 66umol/L range (optimal range: 45 - 90 umol/L) based on 8 measurements since 2013 to 89umol/L, if it was a few points higher it would have been out of range. So I am not sure about the gradual rise due to blood pressure, etc — I was 66 before W30 and 89 after!

 

I am working now to bring it down with a low protein corrective diet, sigh! Once I retest I will learn if it is diet related or something else — coincidence.

[praxisproject]

Diet may alter your numbers, but the body should be able to cope with a normal amount of protein (W30 isn't high protein).

 

If you're having filtration issues, they need to be addressed.

[Camilla]

Sadly both the doctors I've been to concerning this told me it was related to diet and that nothing would be addressed until it was actually "out of range". SO frustrating. After getting the first brush off I actually sought a second opinion and heard the same thing again. "Eat a low protein diet and retest". Grumble.

 

Thanks for the reply. W30 did manage to get my potassium levels out of the gutter which is pretty exciting for me.  Interestingly though it lowered my RBC and  hemoglobin which was a big surprise as I expected an improvement there eating more meat, liver, and dark green veggies. 

 

I think it's great to have the before and after bloodwork, really interesting.

[praxisproject]

Getting you to lower your intake to get a better test result will get you a lower result, but if you've got a kidney/liver problem it's not actually fixing anything, it's just gaming the test.

 

If none of your doctors are getting your kidneys/liver tested, I'd recommend finding another doctor.

 

Low potassium is also linked to high blood pressure (potassium/sodium is a ratio, but you also need sufficient amounts of potassium).