Dietary Patterns for Promoting Kidney Health

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered a public health problem and part of the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases. Many studies have searched for ways to reduce the risk of complications and death. One possible approach to modify the course of this disease is the adoption of healthy dietary habits. Previous studies have suggested that healthy dietary patterns, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Mediterranean diet, the vegetarian diet, and a diet adhering to the Healthy Eating Index, are associated with improved renal health. In this chapter, we reviewed the scientific literature and presented the potential role of dietary patterns in the prevention of CKD, contributing to dietary strategies for promoting kidney health. We found that nutritional planning plays an important role in kidney health maintenance and in the protection of kidneys from further damage. The DASH, Mediterranean, and vegetarian dietary patterns can be viable strategies for CKD prevention. However, individualized nutritional monitoring is necessary for individuals with overt kidney disease. Randomized, controlled, and prospective studies focusing on nutritional interventions applied to renal patients undergoing conservative and dialytic treatment and to the general population are necessary to assess habits that can prevent the occurrence and worsening of kidney disease.