The "eat less protein" kidney rule has a floor

Claim

CUT PROTEIN? THE KIDNEY RULE

Catch

NOT CAUSE, A LINK

Verdict

NOT TOO LITTLE NOT TOO MUCH

Protein restriction is a cornerstone of chronic kidney disease management — but how low is too low? In the Korean KNOW-CKD cohort, researchers measured actual protein intake with 24-hour urine collections in 1,861 patients with non-dialysis CKD and followed them for a median of 9.3 years. The lowest intake group (under 0.6 g/kg/day) had a HIGHER risk of kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplant (subdistribution HR 1.42) and more than double the all-cause mortality risk (HR 2.17) compared with the highest intake group (over 1.2 g/kg/day). Very low protein intake showed no kidney protection. The authors' message: rigid restriction must be balanced against protein-energy wasting — especially in people with lower muscle mass — and protein management should be individualized with your care team.

SOURCES

1. Suh SH, Choi HS, Kim CS, et al. "Low Daily Protein Intake and Risk of Kidney Failure and Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease." JAMA Network Open. 2026;9(10):e2634568. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.34568

For information only, not medical advice. If you have kidney disease, do not change your protein intake without talking to your doctor or renal dietitian.