By David Liu, PHD

Monday Aug 27, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation suggests that people with chronic kidney disease may be better off avoiding a food or beverage with fructose or high fructose corn syrup.

The study led by Andrzej Brymora of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru?, Collegium Medicum of Bydgoszcz in Poland and colleagues found low fructose diet can reduce inflammation in people with chronic kidney disease among other benefits. 

The authors say that fructose has already been strongly associated with hypertension, hyperuricemia and inflammation in both model and human studies.  The current study was meant to examine the association between using low-fructose diet and inflammation, hyperuricemia and the progression of kidney disease in people with the disease.

Twenty-eight patients at an average age of 59 years with stages 2 or 3 chronic kidney disease started with a regular diet with 60 grams of fructose per 24 hours and then followed a low fructose diet with 12 grams per 24 hours for six weeks.  At six weeks, patients again started using the regular diet for another six weeks.

Metabolic parameters including ambulatory blood pressure, renal function, inflammatory markers, fasting glucose, and insulin and serum uric acid were measured when chronic kidney disease patients started using the low- and regular-fructose diet. 

It was found that the low-fructose diet tended to improve blood pressure in the entire group, but a significant drop in blood pressure was only seen in dippers, not non-dippers.  Uric acid was also lower in the group on the low fructose diet, but non-significantly.

Additionally, a significant decline in fasting serum insulin was observed in those using a low fructose diet and the reduction persisted until kidney disease patients returned to use the regular fructose diet.

The low-fructose diet also lowered high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and the reduction returned to baseline once the patients resumed to use the regular diet.

The researchers concluded "Low-fructose diet in subjects with CKD (chronic kidney disease) can reduce inflammation with some potential benefits on BP. This pilot study needs to be confirmed by a larger clinical trial to determine the long-term benefit of a low-fructose diet compared to other diets in subjects with CKD (chronic kidney disease)."

High fructose corn syrup, which is commonly used in processed foods and beverages as a sweetener, contains high amounts of fructose.  This study suggests that people with chronic kidney disease should abstain from eating foods or drinking beverages with high fructose corn syrup.