By the Fondazione Valter Long Onlus in collaboration with the Create Cures Foundation , March 13th, 2025
This nutritional intervention would be able to improve kidney function, reducing damage and preserving crucial cells involved in the filtration of the blood. The research was published in the prestigious “Science Translational Medicine” and paves the way for new clinical trials.
Chronic kidney disease is caused by a reduction in the ability to filter waste in the blood. It is a serious health problem and a cause of premature mortality. Currently, there are no effective pharmacological strategies in preventing the damage and loss of kidney cells that play a crucial function in the filtration of blood. Additionally, to date, it has been observed that dietary interventions have limited or no effects in promoting regeneration or reversing kidney damage and disease.
The effects of a fasting-mimicking diet low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorus were tested on animal models with chronic kidney disease. After 6 cycles, one every two weeks, an improvement in renal function, reduction of kidney damage, and preservation of cells crucial to the filtration of blood were observed. Even after only one cycle, positive effects were observed in the protection and restoration of kidney structures. “We found that the kidneys of animal models subjected to this dietary intervention resembled, cellularly and molecularly, those of healthy animals,” explains Dr. Laura Perin, co-director of the research laboratory that conducted the study.
The experiments, conducted primarily on animals, have showed promising results: the fasting-mimicking diet has helped reduce kidney damage, improve circulation, and strengthen cardiovascular health. These results were also confirmed by a study of 13 patients, which showed additional benefits. The patients, who had an advanced form of kidney disease, showed improvement after 3 diet cycles, with reduced symptoms and renal damage, such as less protein or other waste in the urine (proteinuria or creatinuria) and improved kidney filtration.
According to Professor Valter Longo, “These results suggest that the fasting-mimicking diet could represent an innovative strategy to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease, improving patients’ quality of life.”
This study is part of a growing body of research on the benefits of the fasting-mimicking diet on cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease and has paved the way for new clinical trials, raising hopes that the fasting-mimicking diet can represent a valuable tool not only against cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, but also against a wide variety of other chronic diseases, thus contributing to improved public health and longevity globally.
In case of need, you can contact the nutritionists at the Create Cures Foundation, specialized in the assistance of patients and doctors, to complete standard therapies with innovative and integrated interventions provided with solid scientific bases, as well as providing advice to those who want to live long. and healthy. clinic@createcures.org.
Reference
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adl5514?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed
