People who eat diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy may be less likely to develop chronic kidney disease than those who eat less of these foods in favour of sweets and meats, a research review from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia suggests.
Compared to people who tended to avoid fruits and veggies and pile their plates with sugar and red meat, those who had healthier diets with lots of foods recommended to reduce the risk of a variety of chronic illnesses were 30% less likely to develop chronic kidney disease and 32% less likely to have protein in their urine caused by kidney damage.
The research team analyzed data from 18 previously published studies with a total of more than 630,000 adults without kidney disease. Participants were followed for a decade, on average.
For diet evaluations, researchers scored participants’ eating habits based on how much they consumed of the main foods that make up heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet recommended by the American Heart Association. They also examined how closely people followed vegetarian diets or other dietary guidelines for optimal health.
The findings suggest that there isn’t one single ideal diet for kidney health. Instead, there are several options for healthy diet patterns from which patients can choose, including the Mediterranean diet and diets reflective of national dietary guidelines.
Common features of these healthy dietary patterns are a high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fish, and limited intake of red and processed meat, sodium, and sugary beverages and foods.
Source: Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, online September 24, 2019.
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