Chronic kidney disease: Omega-3 in seafood can prevent it

Francesco Palma

01 February

Worldwide, one in 10 people suffer from chronic kidney disease, which if left untreated can also lead to kidney failure problems. These are more common in older people and risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and a family history of kidney failure. Exercise and diet can help prevent or manage these issues, particularly according to a study by the University of New South Wales in Sydney, the omega-3 content in seafood is associated with a lower risk of chronic kidney disease. Omega-3s are essential fats, meaning the body cannot make them from scratch, but must obtain them from food or supplements.

I study

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The research is part of the FORCE project, created to understand the relationships between dietary fatty acids and metabolic processes, using data from multiple studies. According to the study, people with higher levels of seafood-derived omega-3s in their diets had a 8% lower risk of developing chronic kidney problems. Specifically, this increased protection was found in 3 individual omega-3s found in seafood: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA).

what to watch out for

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On the other hand, however, it is good to be very careful, especially if you already suffer from kidney problems, as Dr. Shree Mulay, head of the Kidney Experts center in Tennessee explains: “It is essential to be cautious in these cases, since many foods that relate to fishing are rich in phosphorus, a mineral nephrologists work hard to keep low in patients on dialysis and in those with advanced CKD,” he told MTN.