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Fruits & Vegetables May Help Prevent Acid Buildup Better Than Oral Sodium Bicarbonate In CKD: 10-Year Trial

A diet built around fruits and vegetables outperformed the standard medication for a common complication of <span><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/chronic-kidney-disease">chronic kidney disease</a></span>, according to new 10-year trial data presented recently at the <span>American Society of Nephrology</span>’s Kidney Week 2026 in Denver.

<h2>Addressing Acid Buildup In <span rel="noindex">CKD</span></h2>

The complication is <span>metabolic acidosis</span>, a buildup of excess acid in the body that’s common in people with chronic<a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/is-there-a-link-between-your-kidney-health-and-other-chronic-diseases-study-says-yes-article-153797923" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank"> kidney</a> disease (CKD). The usual treatment is oral sodium bicarbonate, according to the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). 

Researchers wanted to know whether a diet designed to produce the same acid-reducing effect, using base-producing <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/nutrition/this-everyday-vegetable-has-more-vitamin-c-than-oranges-to-fight-colds-and-flu-article-152920162" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">fruits and vegetables</a>, might work just as well, or better.

Researchers led by Dr. Nimrit Goraya of Baylor Scott and White Health randomised 108 adults with stage 3 CKD and metabolic acidosis into three groups of 36, according to the ASN’s press release. 

One group received fruits and vegetables calibrated to cut dietary acid by half, one received oral sodium bicarbonate to achieve the same acid reduction, and one received usual care with no specific acid-reduction treatment. Participants were followed annually for 10 years.

<strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/eating-a-handful-of-nuts-daily-may-lower-high-blood-pressure-risk-study-finds-article-156376476" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Eating A Handful Of Nuts Daily May Lower High Blood Pressure Risk, Study Finds</a>

Across the follow-up period, researchers recorded 115 hospitalisations, 166 emergency department visits, and 34 cases where patients needed to start dialysis. Compared with the usual care group, the fruits and vegetables group had far fewer hospitalisations, fewer ER visits, and less progression to dialysis.

Sodium bicarbonate, by contrast, showed no meaningful difference from usual care on any of these outcomes, despite being the medication typically prescribed for this exact condition.

<h2>Why this isn’t entirely new ground</h2>

This builds on Goraya’s own earlier work. In prior published trials, her team found that treating CKD-related metabolic acidosis with fruits and vegetables preserved kidney filtration function and reduced markers of kidney injury better than sodium bicarbonate, and separately showed <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/cardiovascular-diseases-lead-as-indias-top-killer-us-cardiologist-points-out-risk-factors-article-153921066" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">cardiovascular</a> risk benefits from the same dietary approach. The new findings extend that research to long-term, real-world outcomes like hospital visits and dialysis over a full decade.

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“Treatment of metabolic acidosis with fruits and vegetables was associated with more favorable long-term clinical outcomes and health care utilization than standard treatment with sodium bicarbonate or usual care, without increasing overall health-system or societal costs,” Goraya said.

She added that the findings support evaluating dietary interventions in CKD “not only at the individual-patient level but also at the population level, where the cumulative clinical and economic benefits may be substantial,” pointing to the potential value of fruits and vegetables as a formal treatment strategy, especially since the benefits came without added cost.

This is a post-hoc analysis of a trial originally designed to study clinical and cost outcomes over 10 years, and like any single study, it will need replication in larger and more diverse populations before guidelines change. The study specifically involved stage 3 CKD patients, so how the findings apply to earlier or more advanced kidney disease isn’t yet established from this data alone.

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sodium bicarbonate treatment

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metabolic acidosis

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fruits and vegetables diet

kidney health research

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A diet built around fruits and vegetables outperformed the standard medication for a common complication of chronic kidney disease, according to new 10-year trial data presented recently at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2026 in Denver.Addressing Acid Buildup In CKDThe complication is metabolic acidosis, a buildup of excess acid in the body that’s common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The usual treatment is oral sodium bicarbonate, according to the American Society of Nephrology (ASN). Researchers wanted to know whether a diet designed to produce the same acid-reducing effect, using base-producing fruits and vegetables, might work just as well, or better.How The Trial Was RunResearchers led by Dr. Nimrit Goraya of Baylor Scott and White Health randomised 108 adults with stage 3 CKD and metabolic acidosis into three groups of 36, according to the ASN’s press release. One group received fruits and vegetables calibrated to cut dietary acid by half, one received oral sodium bicarbonate to achieve the same acid reduction, and one received usual care with no specific acid-reduction treatment. Participants were followed annually for 10 years.Also Read: Eating A Handful Of Nuts Daily May Lower High Blood Pressure Risk, Study FindsWhat the results showedAcross the follow-up period, researchers recorded 115 hospitalisations, 166 emergency department visits, and 34 cases where patients needed to start dialysis. Compared with the usual care group, the fruits and vegetables group had far fewer hospitalisations, fewer ER visits, and less progression to dialysis.Sodium bicarbonate, by contrast, showed no meaningful difference from usual care on any of these outcomes, despite being the medication typically prescribed for this exact condition.Why this isn’t entirely new groundThis builds on Goraya’s own earlier work. In prior published trials, her team found that treating CKD-related metabolic acidosis with fruits and vegetables preserved kidney filtration function and reduced markers of kidney injury better than sodium bicarbonate, and separately showed cardiovascular risk benefits from the same dietary approach. The new findings extend that research to long-term, real-world outcomes like hospital visits and dialysis over a full decade.What the researchers are saying                  “Treatment of metabolic acidosis with fruits and vegetables was associated with more favorable long-term clinical outcomes and health care utilization than standard treatment with sodium bicarbonate or usual care, without increasing overall health-system or societal costs,” Goraya said.She added that the findings support evaluating dietary interventions in CKD “not only at the individual-patient level but also at the population level, where the cumulative clinical and economic benefits may be substantial,” pointing to the potential value of fruits and vegetables as a formal treatment strategy, especially since the benefits came without added cost.What to keep in mindThis is a post-hoc analysis of a trial originally designed to study clinical and cost outcomes over 10 years, and like any single study, it will need replication in larger and more diverse populations before guidelines change. The study specifically involved stage 3 CKD patients, so how the findings apply to earlier or more advanced kidney disease isn’t yet established from this data alone.

fruits and vegetables may outperform sodium bicarbonate in long-term ckd outcomes, 10-year trial finds

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Fruits & Vegetables May Help Prevent Acid Buildup Better Than Oral Sodium Bicarbonate In CKD: 10-Year Trial

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