Diet designed to lower BP cuts risk of kidney disease too

4. Diet designed to lower BP cuts risk of kidney disease too
A diet high in nuts and legumes, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and low in red and processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages and sodium may not only lower blood pressure but also reduce the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, says a study.

This diet, known as DASH for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was designed primarily to reduce blood pressure. “In addition to offering other health benefits, consuming a DASH-style diet could help reduce the risk of developing kidney disease,” said study leader Casey Rebholz, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland. “The great thing about this finding is that we aren’t talking about a fad diet. This is something that many physicians already recommend to help prevent chronic disease,” Rebholz said.The researchers found that participants with the lowest DASH diet scores (those who ate few foods such as fruits, vegetables and nuts, and consumed more red meat and sodium) were 16 percent more likely to develop kidney disease than those with the highest DASH scores (those who ate more of the healthier foods and less of the unhealthy items).