Many people try intermittent fasting to lose weight, but is it suitable for someone with kidney disease? Our nutrition expert advises caution.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a diet people use to lose weight and improve their health and well-being. There are several ways to intermittent fast, but common ones include:
- The 16/8 method: involves restricting your eating period to 8 hours and fasting for the other 16 hours
- Eat-stop-eat: involves fasting for 24 hours twice a week
- The 5:2 diet: involves only eating 500 to 600 calories twice a week on nonconsecutive days but eating a typical diet the other 5 days
IF is generally safe and suitable for most healthy individuals.
But if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), speak with your doctor before trying IF. They can provide personalized advice on whether IF suits you based on the stage and severity of your CKD.
Limited research on IF and CKD is available. The most relevant studies involve people with kidney disease who fast during Ramadan.
One 2017 study of 65 adults with stage 3 or higher CKD found that fasting associated with Ramadan was linked to worsened kidney function.
Other studies, however, have found that fasting during Ramadan with CKD isn’t linked to worsened kidney function. A 2018 study of 31 people with CKD stages 2 to 4 indicates fasting during Ramadan
A 2020 study shows that fasting may slow the progression of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in mouse models. Still, the evidence of this effect in humans is limited.
It’s unclear whether IF is safe if you have CKD. There may be a risk of adverse health outcomes, including worsened kidney function.
Speak with your doctor before trying intermittent fasting to see whether it’s safe for you.
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