Kidney Disease Patients Should Avoid Southern-Style Diet

Newly published research suggests that a “Southern-style diet” is linked with higher death rates among kidney disease patients. Researchers found that individuals with kidney disease who regularly consumed a Southern diet had a 50% higher risk for death compared to those who did not regularly consume a Southern-style diet. Lead author Dr. Orlando Gutiérrez writes, “This is the first study to identify a regionally specific diet pattern that is highly associated with adverse outcomes among persons with kidney disease. It’s well known that the Southern region has poor health outcomes in a number of different areas including stroke, heart disease and sepsis, and that the style of diet plays a role.” American Journal of Kidney Diseases, July 2014