Chocolate and French Fries May Increase Risk of Kidney Disease, Monash University Study Finds

A new study by researchers at Monash University shows that eating chocolate and potato chips may increase your risk of kidney disease.

The danger comes from harmful chemical compounds called advanced glycation products (AGEs), which are added by chemists to processed foods to improve taste.

EFAs can “turn on” warning signals within the body that lead to an inflammatory response.

The study was conducted by feeding laboratory rats food that had been thermally processed to increase their AGE content.

After 24 weeks of “chronic consumption” of the food, the rats were much more likely to develop symptoms of kidney disease compared to a control group of rodents that ate other types of food.

But there are foods that can counteract those harmful effects, such as oats, beans and potatoes, the researchers said.

Other counter agents include cooked and cooled rice, barley, legumes such as beans and black peas, and raw potato starch.

“These foods are important as they reach the lower intestine and basically serve as food for the intestinal bacteria,” said associate professor and study author Melinda Coughlan.

“Gut bacteria ferment these food-producing metabolites that are anti-inflammatory.

“Now that we have shown that it is certain chemical compounds found in highly processed foods that play a role in chronic kidney disease, we can look to make alternative food formulas or functional foods aimed at dampening the body’s response.”

The researchers said that processed foods have become a dietary staple in many parts of the world, but the exact mechanisms by which foods impact health urgently need more research.

Coughlan said his new study was an important step toward understanding that topic.

“Given the growing interest in the health effects of processed foods, we believe these findings represent an important step in understanding and counteracting the detrimental characteristics of the modern diet,” he said.

“The change in diet, as with most behavioral changes, can be difficult to maintain in the long term, but by adding more foods high in fiber to resistant starch and steaming and stewing practices, we can help mitigate the damaging effects. “

Other processed foods that tend to contain AGEs include bread, baked goods, and confectionery.

Chronic kidney disease affects 10% of the world’s population.