Junk food diet increases risk for kidney damage

(NaturalHealth365) It is already well-known that type 2 diabetes can cause kidney damage if not managed appropriately. Now a new study has shown that consuming a high-fat or junk food diet can be just as harmful to the kidneys. The study results add to the long list of reasons to avoid eating fatty, processed foods.

Diabetes refers to a condition in which the body is ineffective in using insulin, a key hormone for the regulation of blood glucose levels. The result can be too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. If untreated, the high blood glucose levels can cause diabetic kidney disease, where waste products are no longer removed effectively from the body. The kidneys become overtaxed due to all the excess sugar they are trying to process and eliminate from the blood.

Diabetes and a high-fat or junk food diet have similar negative health effects

Type 2 diabetes accounts for around 90 to 95 percent of all diabetes cases. The study, published in the Experimental Psychology journal, shows that eating junk food and high fat foods can raise blood sugar levels in the same manner as the most common form of diabetes.

Lead study author Dr. Havovi Chichger and his colleagues have found that eating excessive junk food or foods high in fat create similar conditions in the body. Dr. Chichger is a senior lecturer in biomedical science at Anglia Ruskin University of the UK.

Editor’s note: Although I can’t ‘prove it,’ I would venture to say that the “high fat” food was toxic and loaded with hidden sugars plus other unwanted synthetic substances, like antibiotics and hormones – which compromise (damage) metabolic pathways and increase the risk of diabetes or kidney damage.

In the experiments, rats were fed diets of either chow containing 60 percent fat for 5 weeks, or a junk food diet of marshmallows, cheese and chocolate for 8 weeks. Their blood sugar levels were assessed, as well as the effects on different kidney glucose transporters. The results were then compared with the health of rats with diabetes.

High blood glucose levels and kidney damage triggered by poor diet choices

The diabetes rats showed high levels of SGLT and GLUT glucose transporters as well as the corresponding regulatory proteins. These mechanisms assist the body with glucose reabsorption, which is the kidney process that allows for filtering the blood for glucose. With too much glucose in the blood, the process can be rendered ineffective.

The rats that were fed the unhealthy diets showed similar elevated SGLT and GLUT levels as the rats with type 2 diabetes. This led researchers to the conclusion that kidney damage risk is similarly high for persons who favor an unhealthy diet.

The hope is that these study results will ultimately lead to new solutions for reducing dangerous blood sugar levels. One diabetic treatment involves blocking kidney glucose transporters to help reduce overall blood sugar levels.

Intelligent food choices will always be the foundation to health and wellbeing

However, it’s also abundantly clear that diet plays a crucial role in optimal blood sugar levels and overall health. This study has given us insights about some of the specific negative effects of a high-fat junk food diet.

The ideal diet for optimal blood glucose levels and kidney health includes lean protein, healthy fats, omega 3s and lots of organic vegetables. Avoiding foods that are high in unhealthy carbohydrates and starches is also crucial.

References:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/tps-jfc050416.php

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/310081.php

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-05-junk-food-similar-high-blood.html

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/EP085670/abstract;jsessionid=03551B0F14EF27A1AE96B790804CF8FD.f01t03