This prospective study published in the Oxford Academic Clinical Kidney Journal, followed 1,324 middle-aged and older adults without chronic kidney disease for a median of 10 years to examine whether habitual protein intake affected kidney function.

Unlike previous studies that relied on estimated GFR, researchers measured kidney function directly using iohexol clearance, a gold-standard method.

Participants consuming the highest amounts of protein (≥1.4 g/kg/day) did not experience faster declines in measured GFR, greater risk of accelerated kidney function loss, or a higher likelihood of developing CKD compared with those consuming less protein.

Why is this important?

High-protein diets are often thought to damage healthy kidneys because they increase glomerular filtration, but this long-term study suggests that higher habitual protein intake does not accelerate kidney function decline in adults without CKD.

These findings provide reassurance for healthy individuals consuming moderate-to-high protein diets, while reinforcing that recommendations to restrict protein should remain focused on patients with established chronic kidney disease rather than the general population.

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