27 research outputs found
Vegetable-based diets for chronic kidney disease? It Is time to reconsider
Traditional dietary recommendations to renal patients limited the intake of fruits and
vegetables because of their high potassium content. However, this paradigm is rapidly changing
due to the multiple benefits derived from a fundamentally vegetarian diet such as, improvement
in gut dysbiosis, reducing the number of pathobionts and protein-fermenting species leading to a
decreased production of the most harmful uremic toxins, while the high fiber content of these diets
enhances intestinal motility and short-chain fatty acid production. Metabolic acidosis in chronic
kidney disease (CKD) is aggravated by the high consumption of meat and refined cereals, increasing
the dietary acid load, while the intake of fruit and vegetables is able to neutralize the acidosis and its
deleterious consequences. Phosphorus absorption and bioavailability is also lower in a vegetarian
diet, reducing hyperphosphatemia, a known cause of cardiovascular mortality in CKD. The richness
of multiple plants in magnesium and vitamin K avoids their deficiency, which is common in these
patients. These beneficial e ects, together with the reduction of inflammation and oxidative stress
observed with these diets, may explain the reduction in renal patients’ complications and mortality,
and may slow CKD progression. Finally, although hyperkalemia is the main concern of these diets,
the use of adequate cooking techniques can minimize the amount absorbedThe Renal, Vascular and Diabetes Laboratory is funded by Ministerio de Economia, Industria
y competitividad: FIS ISCIII FEDER funds PI16/01298 and Sociedad Madrileña de Nefrologia