Scientists Suggest Eating Oily Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Kidney Disease | Medical research

Eating at least two servings of oily fish like mackerel, sardines or herring per week is linked to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease and a slower decline in organ function, research shows .

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects approximately 700 million people worldwide. It can lead to kidney failure and death, so there is an urgent need to identify factors that could prevent its onset and progression.

Now, a study has found an association between higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids found in oily fish and other seafood, and a reduced risk of kidney problems. The link was not found with higher levels of plant-based omega 3 fatty acids.

The findings of the international team of researchers, led by the George Institute for Global Health and the University of New South Wales, were published in the medical journal BMJ.

“While we can’t say for sure which specific fish have the greatest effect on CKD risk, we do know that blood fatty acid levels do reflect their intake,” said researcher Dr Matti Marklund. principal at the George Institute, the Guardian. in an email.

“Among the richest dietary sources of these fatty acids are cold-water fatty fish – for example, salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring – and, to a lesser extent, shellfish, such as oysters, mussels and crab.”

The results support guidelines recommending the consumption of oily fish and other seafood as part of a healthy diet.

“Current dietary recommendations in most countries suggest at least two servings of fish per week, preferably oily fish, which will provide around 250 mg/day of long-chain omega-3s,” Marklund said.

Animal studies have previously suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may help with kidney function, but until now evidence from human research has been limited and mostly based on dietary questionnaires.

The researchers pooled the results of 19 studies from 12 countries examining the links between omega-3 fatty acid levels and the development of CKD in adults.

About 25,000 people were included in the main analysis, aged 49 to 77.

After taking into account a range of factors, including age, gender, race, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, heart disease and diabetes, Higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids from seafood have been associated with an 8% lower risk of developing CKD. .

When participants were divided by levels of seafood omega-3 fatty acids consumed, those in the top fifth had a 13% lower risk of chronic kidney disease than those in the bottom fifth. Higher levels were also associated with a slower annual decline in kidney function.

The researchers stressed that their findings were observational and therefore did not prove that including more seafood in your diet definitely reduced the risk of CKD. “We need randomized controlled trials to determine this type of causation,” Marklund said.

Nevertheless, the results were similar after further analysis and appeared to be consistent across all age groups. “Higher levels were consistently associated with a lower risk of CKD,” he added.