Plant-Based Diet May Protect Kidneys

A plant-based diet has been linked to a reduced risk of kidney disease, according to a new US study. But people who consume a lot of starch and sugary vegetarian foods may be more susceptible to nephrological pathology. The results were published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

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The researchers looked at data on dietary habits and kidney function in 14,686 adults, half of whom were under 24. Overall, over the period covered by the study, 4343 participants developed chronic kidney disease.

The people who ate the healthiest, plant-based diet were 14% less likely to develop kidney disease than people who rarely ate fruits and vegetables.

At the same time, participants who ate the most unhealthy vegetarian foods were 11% more likely to develop kidney disease than people who ate the least of these foods.

"Relatively higher intake of healthy plant foods and relatively lower intake of less wholesome plant and animal foods have been shown to benefit the kidneys," says senior study author Casey Rebholz of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

A healthy, plant-based diet includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables (including greens), nuts, legumes, and vegetable oils.

The unhealthy plant-based diet, while excluding meat, included a lot of potatoes. Instead of whole fruits, people were more likely to consume juices, sodas and sugary drinks, as well as a lot of candy, cakes and chocolate. Most often these were men, young, sedentary and drinking more alcohol.

The association between a plant-based diet and the risk of chronic kidney disease was particularly pronounced at the start of the study in normal weight people.

Experts say that eating more fruits and vegetables makes it easier for the kidneys to eliminate toxins from the body, since fruits and vegetables are less acidic than red meat, and therefore less stressful. However, there may be an indirect link between a reduced risk of kidney disease and a higher intake of fruits and vegetables: it is possible that people who follow a healthy plant-based diet simply get more exercise, sleep more, and generally lead healthier lifestyles.