New Nordic Diet May Work For Kidney Health

New Nordic Diet is a way of eating developed from the traditional cuisine in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland. It integrates the local food culture and emphasizes the concept of health and sustainability. In addition to making good use of local and seasonal ingredients, the New Nordic Diet also advocates reducing food waste and caring about sustainable production.

The New Nordic Diet shares similar features with the DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet. The main difference is the choice of oil. A research team removed high-phosphorus food, such as rye bread, dairy products, and nuts, and reduced animal-based protein from the New Nordic Diet. They found that this way of eating might reduce the renal excretion f phosphate, acids, and uremic toxins in people suffering from moderate chronic kidney problems (stage 3-4).

18 participants with eGFR ranging from 16-45 accepted 7 days of the traditional Danish diet and 7 days of the New Nordic renal diet. Results showed that the Nordic Diet gave a short-term improvement in the parameters of phosphate homeostasis. The average phosphorus level was 875 mg/d at baseline, while the level decreased by 400 and 87 mg/d, respectively, for the period of the New Nordic Diet and the traditional Danish diet. In a post hoc analysis, the team further discovered this renal diet reduced uremic toxins. By 7 days, the 24-hour urine net acid excretion had greatly reduced by 80%. There are also significant improvements in other parameters.

Based on the results, the team says, further investigations should be done on the long-term effects of the New Nordic renal diet on people with chronic kidney problems.