A diet that is either all or almost all fruits and vegetables have been known to decrease risks of cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and many other forms of chronic illness that plagues the world today. One research from University of Virginia found that adults who have chronic kidney disease ate fewer fruits and vegetables compared to those who ate more.

For their study, the analyzed data from three groups of people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988 to 2018 that included dietary questionnaires as well as demographic information. After adjusting for variables such as diabetes, waist circumference, hypertension, etc, they found that people with chronic kidney disease had less fruits and vegetables in their diets.

“We hope that through this study and similar studies we would be able to encourage both healthy individuals and patients with chronic kidney disease to reconsider their intake of fruits and vegetables by incorporating greater varieties and amounts of unprocessed or minimally processed fruits and vegetables into their everyday diets,” said author, Shirin Pourafshar.

Chronic kidney disease or chronic renal failure is associated with various other disease including chronic hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes. Perhaps eating a diet of fruits and vegetables may have benefits beyond just kidneys.

Their study was published in Journal of Renal Nutrition.

S Pourafshar et al. Patterns of fruit and vegetable intake in adults with and without chronic kidney disease in the United States. Journal of Renal Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2022.06.007