Say you’re told you have kidney disease. Knowing these vital organs remove waste and toxins from your system, stimulate the production of red blood cells and regulate your blood pressure, you know you need to do something fast.

It’s very likely that one of the first things your doctor will do is put you on a regimen of medications.

But a new, five-year study just emerged revealing that one of the best things you can do for your kidneys is to eat three or four servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Not only can they help you regain your health but also may help save you money on medical costs, including medication.

In fact, eating healthy fruits and vegetables could help cut your drug costs by as much as 50 percent.

Eating the Right Foods Improves Your Kidney Function

You might be wondering how that works. According to the study at the University of Texas, it starts with a shift in nutrition.

Certain foods help you manage your blood pressure better than others and, at the same time, improve several other aspects of your health, potentially initiating healthier readings in things like systolic blood pressure.

The five-year study showed that a positive change in diet lowered the systolic blood pressure of subjects with kidney disease better than those who opted for medication.

U.S. News reported that the study tracked a small number of participants with kidney concerns so researchers could compare standard medical treatment outcomes with nutritional intervention.

The goal of the scientists was to determine who did better — the people in the drug group or those in the food group. The two gauges were not only which did better at naturally decreasing blood pressure but also whether or not using food to do it could make any difference in costs.

You already know the outcome. Healthy food prevailed, hands down. Study participants showed improvement the first year, and drug costs lowered every year thereafter, saving an average total of $153,000 for the veggie group over the span of the five-year study.¹

Dr. Nimrit Goraya, study author and program director for nephrology at Baylor Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas, said that for people with kidney disease — or those wanting to prevent it — the importance of eating the right foods rather than settling for medications was “huge.” Other studies show that taking blood pressure drugs may increase your risk of death.

Vegetables and Exercise — Stunning Findings for Blood Pressure

A 28-study review at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, involving more than 1,000 patients on kidney dialysis, resulted in more very promising statistics. Scientists found that those who regularly employed both aerobic and resistance (strength) training exercises lowered their blood pressure readings significantly.²

Lona Sandon, clinical nutrition program director at the School of Health Professions at UT Southwestern in Dallas, noted that three or four servings of veggies and fruits, depending on the type, make all the difference:

“It is remarkable what fruits and vegetables can do, along with a little exercise. Blood pressure meds come with many side effects that may leave people feeling sluggish, or other problems.

The side effects of fruits and vegetables and exercise is better health. When people have access to healthy foods, they can change their health. And especially when they eat the recommended amounts that were provided to them in the study.”³