One of the most serious complications of diabetes is kidney disease. British researchers have discovered that eating fish twice a week might help diabetes patients prevent kidney problems, according to a study published in the November edition of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation.

The study traced the records of more than 22,300 middle-aged and older English men and women who were part of a large European cancer study. The participants were asked about their diet habits and had their urine samples analyzed for the presence of a protein called albumin, which is an indicator of kidney damage.

Out of the 22,300 participants, 517 had diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes. The study found that those who ate less than one serving of fish each week were four times more likely to have albumin in their urine than people who ate fish twice a week.

“Protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease, a serious complication of diabetes,” says study co-author Amanda Adler, an epidemiologist with the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

The condition, known medically as macroalbuminuria “can herald worse kidney damage and increase the risk even for heart attacks,” Adler says.

She further speculates that the nutrient content of fish might affect kidney function and improve blood glucose control. However, it’s too early to recommend such a diet because the researchers are not sure whether the fish contributed to the improvement or other factors in their lifestyle.

“People who eat fish might have other healthier habits” that reduce their risk of having the protein in their urine, Susan Spratt, assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at Duke University Medical Center, said.

It is not the first time when fish was shown to benefit the human body. The fact that fish oil and its significant component, omega-3 fatty acids can improve brain power, help with major depression, schizophrenia, and postpartum depression, or reduce chances of developing Alzheimer’s is not a secret anymore. Moreover, a study published in the medical journal The Lancet in August this year, found that daily supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduced deaths and hospitalizations in people with heart failure.

The study confirmed the results of other similar studies showing that high blood levels of omega 3-fatty acids were associated with lower levels of atherosclerosis or studies emphasizing the benefits of fish diets that could have a substantial impact on coronary heart disease.

Coming back to our study on fish benefits in diabetics, the US National Kidney Foundation has some recommendations to keep levels of albumin down. They include tight control of glucose, keeping blood pressure under control, quitting smoking, and following a diabetic diet as prescribed by a doctor.