Scientists from Niigata University and elsewhere found that eating more fruit and vegetables may reduce death risk in chronic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys gradually lose function over time.
The kidneys are essential organs that filter waste and excess fluids from the blood and help maintain a healthy balance of minerals and fluids in the body.
In CKD, the kidneys may become damaged and unable to perform these functions properly, which can lead to a buildup of waste and fluids in the body, as well as other complications like high blood pressure and anemia.
CKD is a serious condition that can progress to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to sustain life.
People with CKD are usually advised to limit their intake of fruits and vegetables to avoid high potassium levels.
But for the general population, eating fewer fruits and vegetables is associated with a higher risk of death.
In this study from Japan, researchers looked at whether how often people eat fruits and vegetables is linked to their risk of death, and if having CKD affects this link.
The study involved 2,006 patients who visited a hospital between 2008 and 2016. Most were men, and the average age was 69.
About 45% of the patients had CKD but were not on dialysis, and 7% were on hemodialysis.
The patients answered a questionnaire about how often they ate fruits and vegetables, and the researchers analyzed the data.
Patients with more severe CKD tended to eat fruits and vegetables less often.
However, the potassium levels in the blood were similar across patients who ate fruits and vegetables at different frequencies, regardless of the CKD stage.
During a follow-up of 5.7 years, 561 patients died. The researchers found that patients who ate fruits and vegetables “sometimes” or “never or rarely” had a higher risk of death than those who ate them “every day.”
The risk of death was even higher for those who ate them “never or rarely.” This link between eating fruits and vegetables and the risk of death was similar for patients with and without CKD.
In conclusion, eating fewer fruits and vegetables is associated with a higher risk of death, regardless of whether someone has CKD.
The research was published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition and was conducted by Minako Wakasugi et al.
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