Abstract
BackgroundAn appropriate diet is an important determinant of kidney health. However, the association between vegetarian diets and renal function is unclear. We aimed to study the association between vegetarian diets and renal function in healthy adults.MethodsA total of 269 vegetarians and 269 sex- and age-matched nonvegetarian omnivores were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Basic characteristics and daily dietary intakes were assessed by face-to-face interviews. Blood samples were collected, and renal function was assessed by measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), uric acid (UA) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and blood lipid profiles were also assessed.ResultsThe average age of the vegetarians was 35.4 ± 8.6 years, 82.2% of whom were female. We evaluated the association between vegetarian diets and renal function using multivariate analysis. Compared with omnivores, vegetarians had lower BUN [β = − 0.63, 95% confidence interval (CI): (− 0.88, − 0.38)], SCr [β = − 2.04, 95% CI:(− 4.10, 0.02)], and UA levels [β = − 15.15, 95% CI: (− 27.81, − 2.50)] and higher eGFRs [β = 4.04, 95% CI: (0.30, 7.78)] after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking status, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), systolic pressure and fasting blood glucose. Further analysis of food composition and renal function showed that dietary fiber intake was significantly negatively associated with BUN [β = − 0.02, 95% CI: (− 0.03, 0.00)], SCr [β = − 0.14, 95% CI: (− 0.25, 0.04)], and UA levels [β = − 0.72, 95% CI: (− 1.36, 0.07)] and positively associated with the eGFR [β = 0.20, 95% CI: (0.00, 0.40)].ConclusionsHealthy adult vegetarians have better renal function than omnivores, and the higher dietary fiber intake associated with vegetarian diets may contribute to the protective effect on renal function.
Highlights
An appropriate diet is an important determinant of kidney health
Renal function was assessed by measuring blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), uric acid (UA) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate
We evaluated the association between vegetarian diets and renal function using multivariate analysis
Summary
The association between vegetarian diets and renal function is unclear. We aimed to study the association between vegetarian diets and renal function in healthy adults. Real-world dietary pattern, the vegetarian diet is an attractive target for study. The association between vegetarian diets and kidney function is controversial due to the limited number of related studies. The most recent crosssectional study of 55,113 participants revealed a lower prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) among vegetarians than among omnivores [7]. A study of a population in the Middle East and North Africa reported that the lacto-vegetarian dietary pattern might be protective against the occurrence of CKD after 6.1 years of followup [8]. Some prospective studies reported that a vegetarian diet has a protective effect against renal diseases such as kidney stones and kidney cancer and may reduce renal disease mortality, but relationships between vegetarian diets and renal function parameters were not mentioned [10,11,12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
