Kidney - Nutrients reduce symptoms in diabetic and chronic kidney disease

Tocotrienols improve kidney function

One of the complications of types 1 and 2 diabetes is impaired kidney function. Evidence is mounting that the tocotrienol form of vitamin E has the unique ability to uniformly disperse throughout cells and penetrate saturated fatty layers, making it a highly potent antioxidant.

In this study, 59 men and women, average age 67, with diabetic nephropathy—where kidneys can’t effectively filter waste and excess fluids—took a placebo or 200 mg of tocotrienols twice per day.

To assess kidney function, doctors measured creatinine, a waste product, levels of which were elevated in all participants. After six months, those taking tocotrienols saw a 3.2 percent decrease in creatinine levels compared to a 7.6 percent increase for placebo. Doctors also estimated how well the kidneys were filtering creatinine, and after six months found a 3.3 percent increase for tocotrienols and a 12.8 percent decrease for placebo. These benefits continued through the 12-month study period.

Discussing the findings, doctors said this is the first clinical trial to show tocotrienol-rich vitamin E supplements for 12 months slowed diabetic kidney disease, especially in its later stages.

Reference: Nutrients, 2021, Vol. 13, No. 1, 258

Magnesium in chronic kidney disease

One of the factors in kidney disease is poor circulation in calcified arteries, hampering kidney filtering function. Playing off earlier studies that found magnesium slowed arterial calcification, doctors reviewed 22 studies covering over 200,000 chronic kidney disease patients.

Overall, those with higher—but not abnormally high—levels of magnesium were less likely to die from any cause compared to those with lower magnesium levels. Doctors found a direct link: for each 0.1 millimoles-per-liter of blood (mmol/L) increase in magnesium, chances for heart and circulatory adverse events, including dying, decreased by 15 percent. Doctors noted the optimum range for magnesium appears to be between 1.15 and 1.27 mmol/L.

Reference: Clinical Nutrition; 2020, 015, Published Online

#Kidney disease #Tocotrienols #Magnesium