Eating a plant-forward diet is good for your kidneys

Eating a plant-forward diet and limiting added sugars and fats as part of the EAT–Lancet planetary diet was associated with a reduced risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a large study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.250457.

Chronic kidney disease affects about 10% of adults globally and is projected to become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by 2040.

The study was based on data from the UK Biobank, a large-scale long-term study that included 179 508 eligible participants aged 40 to 69 from England, Scotland and Wales, and dietary information collected through a questionnaire. Over a median follow-up of 12 years, 4819 (2.7%) participants developed CKD.

“Greater adherence to the EAT–Lancet planetary health diet was significantly associated with a reduced risk of incident CKD. This protective association was particularly evident among individuals with low residential green space exposure and specific genetic variants,” writes Dr. Xianhui Qin, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, with coauthors.

Although many plant-based diets are promoted, such as Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMed), and others, the EAT–Lancet planetary health diet was developed to encompass human health as well as environmental sustainability. It emphasizes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and some meat and dairy and limited consumption of added sugars and fats.

“A key commonality among these dietary patterns is their emphasis on higher consumption of vegetables, fruits, and nuts, and reduced intake of red meat — components consistently associated with lower CKD risk in previous studies. A distinctive aspect of the EAT–Lancet diet is its specific limitation of added sugars and fats, which may further mitigate kidney risk through modulation of inflammation and oxidative stress pathways. These results underscore the potential of the EAT–Lancet diet as an effective dietary strategy for CKD prevention,” the authors write.