Did you know that red meat can minimize your kidney failure risks? Well, now you know.

Singapore researchers suggest that you should use fish and poultry, not red meat, in order to bring down your kidney failure problems. Substituting just one serving of red meat with other kinds of proteins can lead to a reduction of 62 percent of developing "end-stage renal disease (ESRD)".

Professor Koh Woon Puay from the Duke-NUS Medical School and NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health studied pork---about 97 percent of the red meat eaten by the participants. Experts examined data from the Singapore Chinese Health Study, which roped in over 60,000 Chinese in Singapore for the study.

Other sources of protein consumed by the participants included eggs, fish, poultry, dairy products, legumes, and soy. Examining the participants for more than 15-and-a-half-years brought the experts to the conclusion that red leads "increased the risk of ESRD".

Hence, those who ate large amounts of red meat increased their risk by 40 per cent compared to others. Participants in the study were classified into the 45-74 year age group.

Still, Koh suggested that red meat can be eaten in moderation.

"It is best to eat red meat in moderation. For example, instead of eating red meat for every meal or daily, it is advisable to replace it with other meat such as poultry and fish, or plant-based protein such as soy and legumes for alternate meals or days," she told The Straits Times. 

While no link was found between kidney failure and eating eggs, fish, poultry or dairy products, the experts did feel that consuming soy and legumes may bring down the risks.

 "We embarked on our study to see what advice should be given to CKD patients or to the general population worried about their kidney health regarding types or sources of protein intake. Our findings suggest that these individuals can still maintain protein intake but consider switching to plant-based sources; however, if they still choose to eat meat, fish/shellfish, and poultry are better alternatives to red meat," Koh said. 

The study has been published in the American Society of Nephrology.