Diabetics can reduce the risk of kidney complications by eating fish twice a week, according to researchers.

Medics studied the diets of 22,000 men and women with insulin-dependent diabetes at a hospital from the UK, Reuters reported.

Men and women who ate fish regularly had less protein in their urine, which is used to flag kidney problems.

People expelling high levels of protein have a condition known as macroalbuminuria.

This can lead to kidney problems that can even consist of heart attacks, according to study leader Dr Amanda Adler.

Proteins in fish could protect against diabetic kidney disease, fellow investigator Chee-Tin Christine Lee speculated.

The researcher told Reuters: "It is possible that fish oil improves blood lipid profiles and decreases the risk of kidney disease."

However, the benefits of individual type of fish would be something that could be looked at in a future study, Dr Adler added.

The study was published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, which is published on behalf of the National Kidney Foundation.