A kidney-specific fasting-mimicking diet induces podocyte reprogramming and restores renal function in glomerulopathy

Researchers tested a newly developed, low-salt Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) in rats with chemically induced kidney damage (nephrosis), looking at kidney structure, gene activity and urine protein levels. A separate, small pilot study then gave monthly 5-day FMD cycles, for three months, to a group of patients with chronic kidney disease.

In the rat model, the authors reported that FMD cycles restored normal urine protein levels and typical kidney cell structure, and activated pathways linked to the regeneration of podocytes, a specialized kidney cell type. In the human pilot, the authors reported reduced urine protein and improved blood vessel function in the patients who did the FMD cycles compared with those who did not.

This is primarily an animal study: the detailed cell and gene findings come from rats, not people. This study does not show these effects in humans. The human portion was a small pilot in a specific patient group (chronic kidney disease), not a finding about healthy use of an FMD or about Prolon specifically. The authors call for further testing before any conclusions about treating kidney disease.