Milwaukee community may be interested to learn about a new study results, confirming once again that the yesterday announced dietary guidelines about consuming predominantly fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains, and less salt, sugar and/or saturated fat constitute the only correct path to kidney protection.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a health problem, leading to serious neurological complications, that is also linked to global increased prevalence of general morbidity and mortality. Damaged kidneys can also place older adults at a greater risk of heart failure, stroke and other cardiovascular disease.
A study expected to be published in the February issue of the American Journal of Kidney Disease, and performed by a team at the Brigham and Women's Hospital showed once again unbiased results that the Western diet is not healthful for Americans. (Source, USNWR, Jan 31, 2011) The study examined and compared three different diets: “Western,” "Prudent" and DASH-diet– and their impact on kidney function by collecting data from 3,121 women over 11 years, all participants in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS). (Source, HealthDay)
The “Western” pattern diet is loaded with red meat, processed neat, refined grains, salt, sweets, high fat dairy products and lots of saturated fats, leading to the American “obesity” pandemic, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, gout and kidney failure, as known from previous research data. Above all, incase if you have metabolic syndrome or type-2 diabetes, your risk of developing kidney disease is much higher than the average person.
The Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diet is a diet mainly used to treat hypertonia, as part of the metabolic syndrome cluster. DASH diet is highly abundant in lean protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy option. It is also rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as well as protein and fiber. It consists of lean protein, 8-10 fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and about 25 percent of the total daily calories come from good fats, like olive and canola oil. In general the diet recommends nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, two to three servings of low-fat dairy and protein, and five to six servings of whole grains.
The “Prudent” pattern diet features plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat (poultry and fish) conceptualizing on prudent eating and drinking rules. The diet is teaching how to substitute whole grains for white flour and other refined grains and how to use less salt and saturated fats instead.
The kidney function was assessed by using the following tests:
1) Test for estimated Glomerular Filtration (eGFR)- a test which measures how well the kidneys are filtering, and
2) Test for Microalbuminuria - investigating the presence of albumin in the urine, considered as main marker of vascular disease and inflammation, and lately also known as marker for metabolic syndrome.
The women in the study showed reliable kidney functioning, proven by the rate of GF. Although, the authors found that the Western diet was associated with increased levels of albumin in the urine (microalbuminuria)- a test speaking itself about the declining kidney function. After measuring the eGFR all the women placed on the Western diet, showed a rapid eGFR decline, while that was not the case with the Prudent and the DASH diets.
Lead author Julie Lin, MD (a physician at the renal division at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston), stated "Interestingly, this finding, along with other research, adds to growing evidence that albuminuria, which is widely considered to be an early reflection of vascular disease, may be influenced by diet. The kidney is a highly vascular organ, so we were not surprised to see that the Western diet, which has been linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, is also associated with kidney function decline over time." “In conclusion, eating more fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fish and whole grains, and by using less salty foods, and low-fat dairy we may save our kidney function,” the study suggested. (Source: BWH, Jan 31, 2011)
