Drinking a cup of coffee each day could potentially lower your risk of acute kidney injury (AKI).
This is according to a recent study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers, published in the Kidney International Reports journal.
The researchers discovered that daily coffee drinkers had a 15% lower risk of AKI, while those who consumed two to three cups a day enjoyed an even greater reduction in risk, at around 22%–23%.
“We already know that regular coffee consumption has been linked with the prevention of chronic and degenerative diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver disease,” says study author Chirag Parikh, M.D., Ph.D. “Now we can add a possible reduction in AKI risk to the list of health benefits for caffeine.”
Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
AKI is a sudden episode of kidney failure or damage that occurs within a few hours or days. It results in waste products accumulating in the blood, making it challenging for kidneys to balance the body’s fluids correctly.
Symptoms may include little urine output, swelling in the legs, ankles, and eyes, fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion, nausea, and chest pain.
In severe cases, it can lead to seizures or coma. This condition is most common in hospitalized patients whose kidneys are affected by medical and surgical stress and complications.
Studying Coffee’s Protective Powers
Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, the researchers assessed over 14,000 adults recruited between 1987 and 1989.
They asked participants about their coffee intake over a 24-year period, during which nearly 1,700 cases of acute kidney injury were recorded.
The researchers took into account factors like demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle influences, and dietary factors, as well as additional comorbidities such as blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), diabetes status, use of antihypertensive medication, and kidney function.
They found an 11% lower risk of developing AKI in individuals who drank coffee compared with those who did not, even after all these adjustments.
Why Coffee Might Help
Parikh speculates that coffee’s impact on AKI risk might be due to biologically active compounds combined with caffeine or the caffeine itself improving blood flow and oxygen use within the kidneys.
He suggests that “Caffeine might help the kidneys maintain a more stable system” as it’s thought to inhibit the production of molecules that cause chemical imbalances and overuse of oxygen in the kidneys.
Further research is needed to determine the specific protective mechanisms of coffee consumption on kidneys, particularly at the cellular level.
The researchers also plan to investigate the influence of coffee additives and consumption of other caffeinated beverages on AKI risks.
If you care about kidney health, please read studies about a drug that prevents kidney failure in diabetes, and drinking coffee could help reduce the risk of kidney injury.
For more information about kidney health, please see recent studies about foods that may prevent the recurrence of kidney stones, and common painkillers may harm the heart, kidneys and more.
The study was published in Kidney International Reports.
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