Food and beverages may have a significant impact on kidney health, although the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are frequently unknown.
According to new research published in CJASN, coffee drinking alters the levels of many metabolites in the blood, which may influence the risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Coffee-Related Blood Metabolites May Influence The Risk Of Renal
When Casey M. Rebholz, PhD, MS, MNSP, MPH (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) and her colleagues looked at 372 blood metabolites in 3,811 people in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, a prospective community-based cohort, they discovered that 41 of them were linked to coffee consumption.
Renal diseases are not easy to cope with and cure. Hence it is better to take enough precautions that can help keep such health issues away. Experts have warned those who consume more amount of coffee as it can lead to renal issues.
When the researchers looked at similar metabolites in another 1,043 adults from the Bogalusa Heart Investigation, a community-based long-term epidemiological study, they discovered that 20 of the 41 metabolites were also linked to coffee intake.
Higher levels of three coffee-related metabolites, glycochenodeoxycholate, O-methyl catechol sulphate, and 3-methyl catechol sulphate, were linked to a higher risk of developing CKD.
Glycochenodeoxycholate, a lipid involved in primary bile acid metabolism, may play a role in the kidney health benefits of coffee drinking. The compounds O-methyl catechol sulphate and 3-methyl catechol sulphate, which are involved in the metabolism of the preservative benzoate, may be toxic to the kidneys.
“Drinking a modest amount of coffee is consistent with a balanced diet, according to a significant body of scientific research. One metabolite that supports this notion has been identified, “Dr Rebholz stated.
“Two additional metabolites linked to coffee were shown to be related with an increased risk of incident chronic kidney disease. These chemicals were also linked to cigarette smoking, which could explain why they were linked to an increased risk of kidney disease.”
These metabolites may indicate pathways that are relevant for preventing kidney disease through dietary adjustments as an additional study on the metabolic foundations of the coffee-kidney link is conducted.
It would have been fascinating to observe how the study’s conclusions on metabolites linked to renal disease would have changed after accounting for individuals’ self-reported coffee use, according to an accompanying editorial.
The scientists noted, “Integrating various data types should provide a better understanding of the impact coffee and other dietary components play in the development of CKD or other disorders.”
The researchers uncovered one coffee-related molecule that could help kidneys become healthy throughout their investigations. They did, however, discover two other coffee-related metabolites that have been associated with chronic kidney disease.
In addition, a slew of additional studies has shown that coffee is advantageous to one’s general health.
“Habitual consumption of one or more cups of coffee per day was related with around a 10% decrease in risk of COVID-19,” researchers from Northwestern University reported in the Nutrients journal in July.
According to research published in the peer-reviewed medical journal BMC Public Health in June, drinking three to four cups of coffee per day can lower the risk of liver cancer and other alcohol-related liver illnesses.
In February, a study published in the journal Circulation found that consuming at least one cup of coffee each day can lower the risk of heart failure.
Glycochenodeoxycholate, a lipid involved in primary bile acid metabolism, may have a role in the potentially beneficial effects of coffee consumption on kidney health. O-methyl catechol sulphate and 3-methyl catechol sulphate, which may be affected by the metabolism of the preservative benzoate, may also be linked to the kidney-damaging effects of coffee.