10/02/2022
October 1st is World Vegetarian Day and October is Vegetarian Awareness Month.
Research has shown that vegetarian diets can not only be safe, but also potentially beneficial for people with chronic kidney disease in both predialysis and dialysis.
Reviews on the subject have summarized findings to conclude that vegetarian and plant-forward diets are associated with improvements in phosphorus control, insulin resistance, metabolic acidosis, blood pressure, and gut microbiome diversity [1,2]. Historical fears associated with kidney disease and vegetarian diets included risk for inadequate protein intake and excessive potassium intake. In people with predialysis CKD, vegetarian diets are capable of providing adequate protein and can help make following a low protein diet more sustainable. [1] In dialysis, vegetarian patients do not appear to have inferior protein/energy nutrition status compared with non-vegetarians. [2] While monitoring of potassium is necessary, there is little evidence that hyperkalemia is more common in vegetarian diets than in non-vegetarian diets. [1] It should be noted that there are still questions on adequate provision of iron and B12 with vegetarian diets in people with CKD and that dialysis patients on vegetarian diets might require more erythropoietin. [2]
Regardless of whether you choose a vegetarian or non-vegetarian diet, it is recommended to work alongside a Registered Dietitian to most safely and effectively eat a kidney-friendly diet!
References:
1. Joshi, S., McMacken, M., & Kalantar-Zadeh, K. (2021). Plant-Based Diets for Kidney Disease: A Guide for Clinicians. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation, 77(2), 287–296. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2020.10.003
2. Gluba-Brzózka, A., Franczyk, B., & Rysz, J. (2017). Vegetarian Diet in Chronic Kidney Disease-A Friend or Foe. Nutrients, 9(4), 374. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9040374
