South Korea: Greater intake of dietary plant protein was shown to be associated with a lower risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a large, prospective cohort study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.
Plant-based diets confer various health benefits, including lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. However, the relationship between plant protein intake and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. This study led by Ga Young Heo aimed to investigate the association between plant protein intake and the development of CKD.

The study included 117,809 participants who completed more than one dietary questionnaire and had an eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) ≥60 ml/min/1.73 m2, a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) <30 mg/g, and no history of CKD.
Key findings include:
· During a median follow-up of 9.9 years, incident CKD occurred in 3.2% of participants (incidence rate, 3.2 per 1,000 person-years). In a multivariable model, the adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs for the second, third, and highest quartiles of plant protein intake were 0.90, 0.83, and 0.82, respectively, compared with the lowest quartile.
· Modeled as a continuous variable, the aHR per 0.1 g/kg/day plant protein intake increase was 0.96. This beneficial association was also consistent in secondary analyses for which CKD was defined based on codes or two consecutive measures of eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2, or on UACR >30 mg/g.
· Various sensitivity analyses demonstrated consistent findings.
Using the UK biobank study data, the researchers found that participants with a higher plant protein intake had a lower risk of developing CKD. This finding suggests that a higher dietary intake of plant-based protein may be beneficial for kidney health and provide insight into dietary interventions to prevent CKD in primary care settings.
Reference:
Ga Young Heo, Hyo Jeong Kim, Kyung Won Kim, Chan-Young Jung, Hyung Woo Kim, Tae Ik Chang, Jung Tak Park, Tae-Hyun Yoo, Shin-Wook Kang, Seung Hyeok Han, Association of Plant Protein Intake With Risk of Incident CKD: A UK Biobank Study, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.05.007