Fasting-Mimicking Diet May Restore Kidney Function

TOPLINE:

A fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) restored kidney function in a rodent model and promoted renoprotection in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by reducing proteinuria and improving endothelial function, new research shows. 

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers developed and fed CKD animal models a low-salt FMD equivalent to the recommended daily intake for human patients with stage-III CKD.
• The 13 clinical trial participants ate a plant-based diet consisting of proprietary formulations of vegetable-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, tea, and a supplement providing high minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids for 5 days per month for 3 months.
• For the clinical trial, the researchers evaluated physiological markers before and after study completion, as well as during the study and, for some parameters, a year after the end of the intervention; examinations included body composition, serum level of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), inflammation and oxidative stress markers, cardiovascular and endothelial risk factors renal function markers, regenerative markers (circulating stem cells), and psychocognitive evaluation.
• Various metabolic parameters were measured in the rodents.

TAKEAWAY:

• Six cycles of the proprietary low-salt FMD slowed the deterioration of kidney structures and function in rodents, leading to a significant reduction in the albumin-to-creatine ratio and blood urea nitrogen at 4 and 6 weeks after the diet cycles, as well as a significant reduction in glomerular and tubular injury.
• In the clinical trial, the FMD ameliorated renal dysfunction, improved proteinuria, and reduced inflammation.
• Taken together, these preliminary results support the feasibility of FMD and the need for large randomized trials to test whether humans will also benefit from the diet’s disease-reversing and regenerative effects.

IN PRACTICE:

The pilot clinical study results showed that the FMD maintains lean muscle mass and is well tolerated in patients with stage-III CKD, the authors wrote. The trial also “provides initial evidence for the effect of FMD cycles in stabilizing kidney disease and, in some cases, inducing a moderate amelioration of renal function for at least 1 year.”

SOURCE:

The study was led by Valentina Villani, PhD, of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, and published online in Science Translational Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

Study limitations included the use of various rat and mouse models, and the small size and lack of between-group differences at the end of the intervention in humans.

DISCLOSURES:

Villani and five coauthors have filed a patent on Fasting Mimicking Diet to Improve Kidney Function; one of the five also has equity interest in and serves as an advisor of L-Nutra and has filed patents related to fasting mimicking diets and their medical use.