LS-FMD was found to significantly improve kidney function and cellular health in a pilot and pre-clinical study, suggesting new dietary avenues for treatment for CKD
L-Nutra, the premier nutri-technology and health solutions company, shares pre-clinical and early clinical results of its Fasting Mimicking Diet in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The research article titled, “A kidney-specific fasting-mimicking diet induces podocyte reprogramming and restores renal function in glomerulopathy,” was published in Science Translational Medicine. This pioneering study reveals the potential of a Low-Salt Fasting-Mimicking Diet (LS-FMD) to significantly improve kidney function and cellular health in CKD, suggesting potential new avenues for treatment.
The research investigates the effects of LS-FMD through both a pre-clinical study involving rat models and pilot clinical trials testing safety in humans. The findings indicate that LS-FMD reprograms renal development-related gene expression, turning back on the systems that generate new and healthy kidney cells. Specifically, the diet promotes a quiescent, or resilient, phenotype in mature podocytes—essential cells that play a vital role in filtering blood in the kidneys. Most remarkably, LS-FMD has been shown to lead to the reversal of glomerular damage, highlighting its regenerative potential.
In the preclinical study, researchers induced nephropathy in rat models to simulate CKD. The results were striking, revealing significant improvements in glomerular function and a reduction in proteinuria, a key indicator of kidney damage. Furthermore, the study demonstrated enhanced nephron structure and podocyte renewal, indicating that LS-FMD can effectively stimulate kidney cell regeneration. This innovative approach triggered the activation of a nephrogenic gene program, which reinitiates developmental processes that are typically dormant after early kidney development.