Diets containing more fruits, vegetables decrease kidney patients’ medical expenses | Courtesy of Shutterstock
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Amanda Rupp | Oct 13, 2016

Diets containing more fruits, vegetables decrease kidney patients’ medical expenses

According to American Heart Association (AHA) research, kidney patients who ate more fruits and vegetables effectively lowered their blood pressure and reduced medical expenses by half compared to patients who used traditional treatments or a baking soda remedy.

Featured patients who were also on dialysis participated in a separate study that showed a combination of strength training and aerobic exercise decreased their blood pressure and heightened their fitness levels.

“It was remarkable that we achieved better blood pressure control using fewer drugs and without forcing people to change their diet completely,” Dr. Nimrit Goraya, study author and program director for nephrology at Baylor Scott & White Health in Temple, Texas, said. “Instead, we provided food for the entire family so they could add fruits and vegetables to what they normally eat. This was important because many of these patients lived in neighborhoods without access to fruits and vegetables through local food banks or grocery stores.”

People who have kidney disease are not as capable of eliminating acid from their bodies. This leaves unusually high levels of acid inside their blood stream, creating metabolic acidosis. Many patients use baking soda treatments to reduce the acid, but this study shows that fruits and vegetables are even more effective.

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