Eating High Acid Foods Could Harm Your Kidneys

People who have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease need to be especially careful about what they eat. For this reason, research as to how different foods affect the kidneys is highly useful for these individuals in particular.

A new study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), has linked diets high in acid foods with increasing the risk of kidney failure in people with chronic kidney disease.

Previous research has shown that diet has a notable influence on the progression from chronic kidney disease, also known as CKD, to kidney failure. The high acid diets in question were those that contained high amounts of meat, as opposed to high amounts of vegetables, which represented a low-acid diet.

For their study, researchers analyzed just under 1,500 CKD patients, and followed their data for an average of 14.2 years. From their analysis, they found that CKD patients who ate meat-based, high acid diets had a three times higher risk of developing kidney failure than those eating low acid diets, based around fruits and vegetables.

According to lead researcher Tanushree Banerjee, “patients with chronic kidney disease may want to pay more attention to diet consumption of acid rich foods to reduce progression to kidney failure, in addition to employing recommended guidelines… The high costs and suboptimal quality of life that dialysis treatments bring may be avoided by adopting a more healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.”

While this study is key for those with kidney disease, it is notable for those that don’t, as well. Even if our kidneys are in good working order, maintaining an alkaline body pH is key. According to Dr. Robert Young, author of The pH Miracle: Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health, pH (how acid or alkaline your body is) affects all of the cells.

If we are too acidic, we may experience a wide range of symptoms, including but not limited to headaches, allergies, mental fogginess, fatigue and chronic pain. Eating a low-acid diet of mainly fruits and vegetables is a great way to get back to alkaline. While organic, grass-fed meats can be healthy in moderation, they should not dominate the plate.

To determine if your diet is too acidic, it may be time to schedule an appointment with a nutritionist, or another type of health professional you trust. While you’re at it, check out our guides to the best foods for kidney health.

-The Alternative Daily

Sources:
http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/early/2015/02/11/ASN.2014040332
http://www.newswise.com/articles/a-high-acid-diet-may-have-negative-effects-on-kidney-health
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/ph-the-perfect-measure-of-your-internal-universe
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/eat-foods-kidney-health