Source: MEATINGPLACE, 7/18/16

A new study suggests that eating red meat may increase the risk of kidney failure in the general population, and substituting other proteins from time to time may significantly reduce the risk.

The researchers, led by Woon-Puay Koh of Duke-NUS Medical School, analyzed data from 63,257 Chinese adults in Singapore whose red meat intake was 97 percent pork.

After an average follow-up of 15.5 years, the researchers found that red meat intake was strongly associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). People who consumed the highest amounts of red meat had a 40 percent increased risk of developing ESRD compared with people consuming the lowest amounts.

In addition, substituting one serving of red meat with other sources of protein reduced the risk of ESRD by up to 62 percent, they found.

The research was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Increasing numbers of individuals are developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), and many progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. Current guidelines recommend restricting dietary protein intake to help manage CKD and slow progression to ESRD; however, there is limited evidence that overall dietary protein restriction or limiting specific food sources of protein intake may slow kidney function decline in the general population.

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