Did you know that nearly 10% of the adult population in the U.S. may suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD)? Many people have mild CKD and live without symptoms. Following a healthy lifestyle, including a nutritious diet and active lifestyle, can prevent CKD or delay its progression. 

Findings from a recent study published in Nature Communications suggest that lysine, a readily-available dietary supplement, may also help prevent kidney damage. Learn more about what lysine is, and how it can protect your kidney health.*

What did researchers discover about lysine?

Lysine is an amino acid (a building block for making protein) that is found naturally in meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. It is also commonly sold in nutrition stores as an over-the-counter dietary supplement. 

Recently, Markus Rinschen, an associate professor at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and Department of Biomedicine in Denmark, conducted a study to test the effects of lysine supplements on rats with high blood pressure, which is one of the two primary causes of CKD. 

The results showed that the amino acid had a protective effect against kidney damage. 

“We discovered that there is an accelerated transformation (metabolism) of the amino acid lysine in humans and animals with kidney disease,” said Rinschen. “And the study shows that the intake of lysine protects the kidneys and prevents hypertensive kidney disease rather effectively, at least in animal models,” explains Rinschen.

While Rinschen sees hope in using lysine one day, he stresses that it is too soon for CKD patients to start taking it regularly. 

Where do researchers need to learn more?

Before recommending lysine supplements, researchers need to learn more about kidney metabolism, which refers to the bodily processes that take place to convert food and drinks into energy. “We don’t know the side effects or the underlying mechanisms yet, and human metabolism is much more complex than a rat’s metabolism,” adds Rinschen.  

He says it may be several years before he can begin treating his patients with lysine, but discovering the potential benefits is a big step, and with more research, supplementation may eventually help prevent CKD and its progression in millions of people.

*Metabolism may be key to future treatment of kidney diseases. (2022, August 19). Medical Xpress. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-metabolism-key-future-treatment-kidney.html