Mediterranean Diet Could Lessen Probability of Developing Kidney Disease

Mediterranean diet which includes fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes, and heart-healthy fats is associated with lesser the probability of developing chronic kidney disease, stated a new research.

The study showed that dietary patterns that closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were linked with a 50 percent reduced risk of developing chronic kidney disease and a 42 percent reduced risk of experiencing rapid kidney function decline.

Minesh Khatri, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, said that many studies have found a favorable association between the Mediterranean diet and a variety of health outcomes, including those related to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer, among others and there was increasing evidence that poor diet was associated with kidney disease, but it was unknown whether the benefits of a Mediterranean diet could extend to kidney health as well.

The researchers examined the associations of varying degrees of the Mediterranean diet on long-term kidney function in an observational, community-based, prospective study. In their analysis of 900 participants who were followed for nearly 7 years, every one-point higher in a Mediterranean diet score, indicating better adherence to the diet, was associated with a 17percent lower likelihood of developing chronic kidney disease. Dietary patterns that closely resembled the Mediterranean diet were linked with a 50 percent lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease and a 42percent lower risk of experiencing rapid kidney function decline.

The study will be published in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (CJASN).