As a survivor of kidney failure, the author has spent decades learning about how to manage and improve his health through non-invasive measures. In this book he shares what he has learned so others can avoid what he has gone through. "About 35.5 million U.S. adults are estimated to have kidney disease - that's more than 1 in 7 (14%). Kidney disease, also known as 'chronic kidney disease' (CKD), causes more deaths each year than breast cancer or prostate cancer. It is the under-recognized public health crisis. About 9 in 10 adults with kidney disease do not know they have it. People with kidney disease may not feel ill, or notice symptoms, until the disease is advanced. Kidney disease is the 8th leading cause of death in the U.S."
- National Kidney Foundation; 2025 In the U.S., about 555,000 people are on dialysis. Over 200,000 are living with a kidney transplant. The U.S. spends several times more on kidney disease than it does on the budget of NASA ($25.4 billion). The kidney disease issues isn't limited to America. It is global. "Chronic kidney disease is a worldwide public health problem associated with a poor prognosis and high mortality. Dietary management plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease."
- Healthy adult vegetarians have better renal function than matched omnivores: a cross-sectional study in China;
BMC Nephrology
journal; July 2020 "In the wake of the huge increase in diabetes and obesity in recent years, more people than ever are being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, a progressive, incurable disease that causes kidney failure. Chronic kidney disease is especially dangerous because patients rarely notice any symptoms, until the disease reaches its later stages. When the damage is no longer reversible."
- Dr. Dira Sooparth, Nephrologist; Bumrungrad International Hospital; Jan. 2019 Globally, heart disease is the number one killer. About 7% of adult Americans have some form of coronary heart disease. In 2023, 919,032 Americans died from cardiovascular disease. That's the equivalent of 1 of every 3 deaths. According to the American Heart Association, about 82.6 million Americans have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease. These include coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. There are also congenital defects and hypertension, and illnesses and environmental pollutants that can damage the cardiovascular system. About 90% of heart disease is preventable, including through diet, exercise, a regular sleep pattern, and avoiding addictive substances. Kidney disease can be prevented, slowed, or halted by the same measures. Over 60% of those with chronic kidney disease also have cardiovascular disease, with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death among them. The combination is called cardiorenal syndrome, with disease in one organ stressing and increasing the risk of disease in the other. Why are heart disease and kidney disease so common? This book will help to explain. Read and learn. And take actions to protect your health. "Plant-based diets can help improve blood pressure, control high blood sugar (if you have diabetes), and maintain a healthy weight. Plant-based diets can help prevent other medical problems, such as heart disease, and help to manage or slow the progression of kidney disease."
- Plant-based Diet and Chronic Kidney Disease; UC Davis Health; 2025