Healthy plant-based diet may protect kidneys
A study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests that a healthy plant-based diet may be tied to a lower risk of kidney disease, but that a starchy, sugary vegetarian diet may increase the risk of kidney damage.
A study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggests that a healthy plant-based diet may be tied to a lower risk of kidney disease, but that a starchy, sugary vegetarian diet may increase the risk of kidney damage.
Researchers examined data on eating habits and kidney function for 14,686 middle-aged adults, following half of them for at least 24 years. Overall, 4,343 participants developed chronic kidney disease. The researchers found that the people who most closely adhered to a diet of healthy plant-based foods were 14% less likely to develop kidney disease than individuals who rarely ate these foods. At the same time, participants who consumed the greatest amount of “unhealthy” vegetarian foods were 11% more likely to develop kidney disease than people who ate the smallest amounts of these foods.
A healthy plant-based diet includes whole grain foods; fruits like apples, pears, and oranges; veggies like dark, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and broccoli; nuts and natural peanut butter; and legumes like string beans and lentils. Study participants who had the healthiest plant-based diets consumed an average of nine to 10 servings a day of these foods. These individuals were more likely to be women, white, older, high school graduates, and physically active.
An unhealthy plant-based diet may limit meat but load up on potatoes. This type of diet might also include juice instead of whole fruit, sodas and sugary drinks, and lots of candy, cake, and chocolate. Participants who had the least healthy plant-based diets consumed an average of seven servings a day of these foods. They were more likely to be men, younger, sedentary, and drink more alcohol.
The researchers found that the association between plant-based diets and chronic kidney risk was especially pronounced for people with a normal weight at the start of the study.
It should be noted that the study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove that certain eating patterns directly contribute to kidney disease.