Patients with chronic kidney disease could benefit a lot from Mediterranean diet according to a review published in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation.
The report suggest that there are several clinical guidelines for chronic disease prevention that are supported by foods that contain fiber, high grain content, refined sugar, sodium, little meat (especially the processed ones) and other plant based foods.
It was pointed out in this review that the regular Mediterranean diet is characterized by:
- Smaller consumption of red meat; usually restricted to special occasions
- Small wine intake
- Moderate to low consumption of dairy products
- Restricting egg consumption to 4 times a week at most
- Consumption of fruits, nuts, whole-grain, cereals, seeds etc.
- Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
- Sweets are rare.
There are several benefits of the Mediterranean diet on CKD according to the review. It was also pointed out in this review that there is a reduced risk for cancer in patients who consume mainly vegetables and fish protein versus meat protein. There is also an evident reduced risk of CKD as well as end stage renal disease in people with predominantly monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids opposed to saturated fatty acids.
They also observed that olive oil could be of immense help for people with constipation. It is rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidants. The progression of CKD has also been established to be slow with moderate intake of red wine. The study also pointed out that fiber-rich diet could result in a reduced risk of CKD, CVD and cancer, which invariable results in reduced mortality.
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