In some cases, people with CKD need to limit their intake of produce like vegetables and fruits. Recent research, however, reveals that a plant-based diet can help those with CKD. 

A recent study set out to establish whether or not dietary fiber and β-carotene were adequate for consumption in CKD patients. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of Japanese patients with CKD, the Fukuoka Kidney Disease Registry (FKR) study. After removing cases with insufficient data, 3545 patients records remained for analysis. The study analyzed the correlation between CKD progression and fruit and vegetable consumption. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the levels of -carotene and dietary fiber in patients with varying stages of chronic kidney disease. 

The significant findings of the study are-

• Vegetable, green leafy vegetable, and fruit consumption fell significantly (P-value for all trends 0.01) as CKD progressed.
• Patients with CKD did not consume enough vegetables and fruits, leading to a deficiency in the antioxidant beta carotene and the dietary fat-soluble antioxidant fiber.
• When controlling for potential confounders, dietary fiber and -carotene intake were both shown to be lower in individuals with advanced CKD.

Reference: Nakano, Toshiaki, et al. "Low intake of β carotene and dietary fiber from vegetables and fruits in patients with chronic kidney disease." Scientific reports vol. 12,1 19953. November 19, 2022,