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Eating more fruits and vegetables could be a game-changer for kidney disease patients. A 10-year study found that stage 3 CKD patients on a fruit-and-vegetable dietary intervention had dramatically fewer hospitalizations and ER visits than those on usual care — and the approach didn't cost more overall. It even outperformed sodium bicarbonate, the standard drug treatment for metabolic acidosis.
A decade-long study presented at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week found that a simple dietary shift — eating enough fruits and vegetables to cut dietary acid intake in half — dramatically improved outcomes for patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic acidosis. Compared to usual care, the fruit-and-vegetable (F&V) group saw far fewer hospitalizations, ER visits, and progression to kidney replacement therapy (like dialysis).
Notably, sodium bicarbonate (HCO3), the standard drug treatment for metabolic acidosis in CKD, showed no significant benefit over usual care on any of these measures — making the dietary approach the clear standout.
Why it matters: These findings suggest that investing in dietary interventions — not just medications — could meaningfully reduce the burden of CKD on patients and health systems alike, without driving up costs.
