CAMBRIDGE, England (UPI) -- Eating fish twice a week may reduce the

risk of kidney disease in diabetics, British researchers say.

The study of 22,000 adults, including 517 with diabetes, also found

those with the disease who ate less than one serving of fish per week

were about four times more likely to have protein in their urine than

those who ate at least two servings of fish per week.

Study co-author Dr. Amanda Adler of the Medical Research Council

epidemiology unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, England,

said protein in the urine is one of the earliest signs of kidney

disease.

Adler and colleagues suggest one possibility is that the "unique

nutrient composition of fish" may benefit kidney function by

enhancing blood glucose control and improving plasma lipid profiles.

Or, they said, people who consume fish may have other lifestyle

factors that reduce their risk of having protein in the urine.

In addition to eating fish, people can reduce the risk of

albuminuria -- protein in the urine -- by controlling glucose,

lowering blood pressure, smoking cessation and following a diabetic

diet as prescribed by a doctor, HealthDay News reported.

The study was published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases.