Healthy Plant-Based Diet Linked to 14% Lower Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease

People who ate the healthiest plant-based diets had a 14% lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease than those who ate the least healthy ones, and their kidney function declined more slowly, a new study has found. A pro-vegetarian diet was linked to a 10% lower risk.

Hyunju Kim and Dr. Casey Rebholz at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health analyzed 14,686 middle-aged adults in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, followed for a median of 24 years, during which 4,343 developed kidney disease. The study is published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Plant-based diets heavy in refined grains and sweets were linked to an 11% higher risk, so quality matters.

Dr. Rebholz said in the press release:

For kidney disease risk, it appears to be important to choose healthy options for plant sources of food, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

The link was strongest in people who were a normal weight at the start, which suggests that eating well early pays off.

The same Hopkins team linked healthy plant-based diets to a lower risk of death last year, and a global study found too few whole grains and fruit are among the top diet risks worldwide.

Healthy plants, happy kidneys!