"More Dangerous Than Salt"... An Unexpected Eating Habit That Harms the Kidneys [Health Issue]

[Financial News] Sodium overconsumption is often cited as the main threat to kidney health, but a large-scale analysis has found that the dietary habit with the greatest impact on the disease burden of chronic kidney disease is, surprisingly, a lack of fruit intake.
A research team led by Professor Dong Keon Yon of Kyung Hee University College of Medicine published the findings in the latest issue of the international journal Medicine, analyzing how dietary risk factors affected chronic kidney disease in 204 countries and regions worldwide from 1990 to 2021.
The team compared the impact of seven dietary factors using disability-adjusted life years (DALY), which combine years lived with disease or disability and years of life lost to premature death.
The analysis showed that the biggest contributor to the chronic kidney disease burden was insufficient fruit intake, with DALY reaching 38.68 per 100,000 people. Insufficient vegetable intake ranked second at 30.84, meaning that eating too little fresh fruit and vegetables was more damaging to the onset and worsening of kidney disease than high salt intake, which ranked third at 19.81.
The disease burden was followed by insufficient whole grain intake at 6.46, excessive processed meat consumption at 5.95, excessive red meat consumption at 5.50, and excessive sugar-sweetened beverage intake at 2.22.
Experts explain that when intake of antioxidants and vitamins abundant in fruits and vegetables is insufficient, chronic inflammation and tissue damage in the body can accelerate, reducing glomerular function. If excessive sodium intake is a direct harmful factor that raises pressure inside the glomerulus and triggers proteinuria, then a lack of antioxidant-rich foods weakens the protective barrier for the kidneys.
In particular, the kidney burden caused by an unbalanced diet rose sharply among people aged 65 and older. That is because poor eating habits accumulated from a young age can lead to kidney damage in later life. In addition, in higher-income countries, the disease burden from excessive sugar-sweetened beverage consumption surged 121% over 30 years, increasing the risk of kidney damage through insulin resistance and diabetes complications.
The research team emphasized, "To protect the kidneys, it is essential not only to eat less salt, but also to maintain a balanced diet with enough fruit, vegetables and whole grains while reducing processed meat and sugar."
However, patients with chronic kidney disease whose kidney function has already declined significantly have a reduced ability to excrete potassium, so excessive fruit and vegetable intake can trigger fatal hyperkalemia. They must therefore adjust their intake with a specialist according to blood test results.
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