Consuming More Vegetable Protein May Help Kidney Disease Patients Live Longer

In 1104 CKD patients participating in the 1988-1994 NHANES III, for each 10 gram increase in vegetable protein intake per day, participants had a 14% lower risk of dying by the end of 2006, after controlling for various factors such as age, smoking, and BMI. Thefindings were presented at ASN Kidney Week 2013. Previous research has shown that compared with animal protein consumption, vegetable protein intake is linked with lower production of uremic toxins. Interventional trials are needed to determine whether increasing vegetable protein will prolong CKD patients’ lives.