Food selection and processing: Can we blend science with engineering to address Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) alters the function and structure of the kidney irreversibly, over months or years. The rising incidence of CKD has become a leading global health problem and therefore a number of multi-field investigations are being carried on. In general, diabetes and high blood pressure (hypertension) are the most common causes of CKD. However, the importance of functional food selection and less consumption of ultra-processed food is at the forefront of the current research domain to manage CKD. To address this threat, experts suggest and recommend adopting a science-based dietary pattern, for instance, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). Moreover, food bioactive compounds are non-nutrients that typically occur in small quantities in foods, and hence, the selection of proper food (source) and subsequent processing is of paramount importance to attenuate the magnitude of CKD. The role of food science in managing chronic diseases could be coupled with the advancement of food engineering to minimize the detrimental effect of food processing along with the delivery of target bioactive molecules. This potentially indicates bold ambitions to innovate holistic solutions to address CKD through a proper selection of food and processing parameters.