World Food Day 2024: UM researchers tackle global food security and chronic disease challenges

World Food Day, celebrated annually on October 16, highlights the crucial issue of global food security. This day, which marks the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, serves to raise awareness about hunger and poverty worldwide while inspiring action to ensure everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. It calls for innovative solutions to address food insecurity, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and envision a future where no one goes hungry.

The University of Manitoba has made food security a key strategic research focus, particularly within the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. Researchers here are working to create healthy communities and promote environmental sustainability, from both a local and global perspective.

Improving life for chronic kidney disease patients

Dylan MacKay, assistant professor in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, studies nutritional interventions and chronic diseases, in particular chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Approximately 1 in 10 Canadians have CKD, and as kidney function gets reduced, some people with CKD can end up with high levels of potassium in their blood. Because of this, they are told to reduce their potassium intake, but potassium is found in healthy foods like fruit and vegetables.

“Dietary restrictions are difficult to manage and lead to decreased overall quality of diet. CKD is an incredibly costly condition, both personally for the people with the condition and their families, and for society, so improving the outcomes for people with CKD is important for everyone,” said MacKay.

MacKay and his team are conducting a clinical trial where people with CKD are given either high potassium or low potassium fruit and vegetables to consume to see if this leads to measurable changes in their potassium levels in the blood. The trial is funded by the Kidney Foundation of Canada and is taking place at CKD clinics at Health Sciences Centre and Seven Oaks General Hospital. The fruit and vegetables for the trial are being supplied by FOODFARE grocery store, in a unique partnership that leverages the store’s expertise in fruit and vegetable purchasing and their existing grocery delivery services.

MacKay sees the potential for positive outcomes for their clinical trial intervention.

“If our research results demonstrate that the potassium in fruit and vegetables doesn’t really matter in terms of people with high potassium and CKD, then we will be working on changing the dietary guidelines for people with CKD, so that they can have more variety and less restriction in their lives,” said MacKay.