Chronic kidney disease affects millions of Americans, and diet remains one of the biggest modifiable risk factors cited by kidney specialists. A growing body of evidence has narrowed attention to one everyday category found in kitchens, lunchboxes, and convenience aisles nationwide: ultra-processed foods. National Kidney Foundation guidance and a widely cited 2022 study suggest that frequent consumption of those foods may be quietly increasing long-term kidney disease risk.
A major kidney health group tied higher risk to ultra-processed foods
The National Kidney Foundation highlighted the issue on June 6, 2022, when it announced findings from a study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases showing a 24% higher risk of incident chronic kidney disease among people with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods. The same study found that each additional daily serving was associated with a 5% higher risk, according to the foundation’s summary of the research.
The foods named in that announcement are staples for many households. The foundation listed carbonated soft drinks, sweet or salty packaged snacks, candies, mass-produced packaged breads, cookies, cakes, margarine, cereals, instant soups and noodles, and processed meat and cheese as examples of ultra-processed foods. That matters because these items are widely consumed and often marketed as quick, affordable options.
Researchers also reported that replacing one serving per day of ultra-processed food with a minimally processed food was associated with a 6% lower risk of chronic kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. The organization said the findings add to broader evidence connecting heavily processed diets to adverse health outcomes. The study announcement did not identify a single brand or region as the driver of risk, but it did point to a category deeply embedded in the U.S. food supply.
The impact is national, but the exact household exposure varies
For readers in the United States, the practical issue is that the food category linked to higher kidney risk is not confined to specialty junk food. National Kidney Foundation dietary guidance says sodium is commonly found in packaged, restaurant, and processed foods, and it specifically identifies deli meats, canned soups, frozen prepared meals, salty snacks, and convenience foods as items that can strain kidney health.
What is confirmed is that chronic kidney disease risk is closely intertwined with blood pressure and diabetes, two conditions that diet can worsen or help control. The National Kidney Foundation states that too much sodium can contribute to fluid retention, swelling, and higher blood pressure, while high blood pressure itself is a leading cause of kidney disease. That makes many everyday foods relevant even before a person has been diagnosed with kidney problems.
What is not yet known on a household level is which single packaged food poses the greatest standalone risk for an average consumer, because the evidence described by kidney health groups focuses on dietary patterns rather than one product. Public guidance also does not provide a city-by-city or state-by-state breakdown of ultra-processed food exposure. Instead, the available evidence points to cumulative intake across common grocery and takeout habits.
Why experts are focused on sodium, additives, and overall diet patterns
The reason kidney experts keep returning to ultra-processed foods is not just convenience culture. The National Kidney Foundation says processed foods are often high in sodium, and its kidney disease nutrition guidance also flags phosphate additives in deli meats, processed foods, and dark colas as a concern for people whose kidneys are not functioning well. Excess sodium can raise blood pressure and increase fluid burden, both of which add stress to the kidneys.
The foundation’s consumer guidance also links processed dietary patterns to the major diseases that often precede kidney damage. It says diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney disease, and notes that regularly drinking soda can increase the risk of those conditions. In that sense, some everyday foods may affect kidney health both directly through sodium load and indirectly through related metabolic disease.
For customers, that means the most relevant change is usually not eliminating one item but recognizing how often heavily processed foods appear across the day. The National Kidney Foundation advises reading food labels, comparing sodium levels across brands, and choosing lower-sodium or less processed alternatives when possible. Its current nutrition materials continue to frame balanced, lower-sodium eating patterns as a key part of slowing or preventing kidney disease progression.