Low Carbohydrate Diets and Kidney Function

I'm always hearing concerns about high protein and/or low carbohydrate diets causing kidney problems. I never have been concerned about this for the following reasons:

1. Kidneys are fairly resilient organs.

2. Children who suffer from epilepsy are often kept in states of deep ketosis to control their symptoms--seems this would not be advisable if it caused kidney damage.

3. Most of the concerns with protein intake and kidneys are with people who have preexisting kidney problems.

I found a study which indicates low carb/ketogenic diets are indeed safe for those with healthy kidneys. 68 men and women with abdominal obesity and healthy kidneys were randomly divided into two groups. One group followed a low carb diet, the other a high carbohydrate diet (both diets were low calorie). Both groups were followed for a year. Weight loss was similar, and tests were done to monitor kidney function. Here's the conclusion:

"This study provides preliminary evidence that long-term weight loss with a very-low-carbohydrate diet does not adversely affect renal function compared with a high-carbohydrate diet in obese individuals with normal renal function."

You can read the entire study here: Renal function following long-term weight loss in individuals with abdominal obesity on a very-low-carbohydrate diet vs high-carbohydrate diet.


You may be interested in reading my Review of The Ketogenic Diet by Lyle McDonald.
His book is, in my opinion, the best resource out there.