Kidney Patients: If You're Eating "Southern" Food, Make It Vegan

A Southern-American diet of fatty foods and sugary drinks can greatly increase kidney patients’ mortality risk, according to a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Researchers followed 3,972 participants with chronic kidney disease from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. Participants were grouped into five dietary eating patterns, including Southern, fast-food, and plant-based. Over a six-year follow-up, results showed those who followed the Southern dietary pattern rich in fried foods, processed meat, and sweetened beverages had the highest risk for death, while those who followed a plant-based eating pattern had the lowest risk for death.