Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Nutrients Removed from the Soil Decide the Nutritional Security of a Nation:The Case of Iron and Zinc in India


Affiliations
1 ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Ivar Kandapura, Bengaluru 560 089, India
 

National iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) balance were computed using theoretical mean daily per capita dietary Fe and Zn requirement and composition of Fe and Znin foods in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors. The analyses imply a satisfactory situation that the intake of Fe and Zn through food sources by the Indian population is adequate. Despite sufficient availability of Fe and Zn through food, there is widespread Zn and Fe deficiency in our population.Ours is a vegetarian-dominant society. The phytate content of our foods is relatively high as the phytate content of vegetarian diets is high. This may be the main cause of the low absorption of Zn and Fe from the foods we eat. A sector-wise contribution indicated a major share of the agriculture sector, followed by the animal husbandry sector. Surprisingly, horticulture sector contributed a small portion (9.1% Zn and 12.9% Fe). The fisheries sector contributed the least.Given the multiple sources of uncertainty in following this method, caution must be exercised in interpreting the estimated figures for prevalence. Since our food sources are supplying enough Fe and Zn, our research efforts should therefore be diverted towards bioavailability rather than bio-fortification.

Keywords

Bioavailability, Food Sources, Iron, Micronutrient Deficiency, Vegetarian Diet, Zinc.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • WHO, Diet, nutrition and prevention of chronic diseases. WHO Technical Report Series, Report of a joint WHO/FAO expert consultation, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2003.

  • Frary, C. D., Johnson, R. K. and Wang, M. Q., Children and adolescents’ choice of beverages high in added sugars are associated with intakes of key nutrients and food groups. J. Adolescent. Health, 2001, 34, 56–63.

  • Caulfield, L. E., Richard, S. A. and Black, R. E., Under nutrition as an underlying cause of malaria morbidity and mortality in children less than five years old. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 2004, 71, 55–63.

  • Halterman, J. S., Kaczorowski., J. M., Aligne, C. A., Auinger, P. and Szilagyi, P. G., Fe deficiency and cognitive achievement among school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics, 2001, 107, 1381–1386.

  • Elmadfa, I. et al., European Nutrition and Health Report 2004. Forum Nutr., 2005, 58, 1–220.

  • WHO, UNICEF and UNU, Fe Deficiency Anaemia: assessment, prevention and control, A Guide for Programme Managers, WHO, UNICEF, UNU, Geneva, Switzerland, 2001; http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/micronutrients/anaemia Fe deficiency/WHO NHD 01.3/en/index.html

  • Zimmermann, M. B. and Hurrell, R. F., Nutritional Fe deficiency. Lancet, 2007, 370, 511–520.

  • Baker, R. D., Greer, F. R. and Committee on Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics., Diagnosis and prevention of Fe deficiency and Fe-deficiency anemia in infants and young children (0–3 years of age). Pediatrics, 2010, 126, 1040–1050.

  • Hambidge, K. M., Zn. In Trace Elements in Human and Animal nutrition. (ed. Mertz, W.,), Academic Press, Orlando, Florida, 1987, 5th edn, pp. 1–137.

  • Brown, K. H. et al., International Zn nutrition consultative group (IZnG): assessment of the risk of Zn deficiency in populations and options for its control. Food Nutr. Bull. (Suppl 2), 2004, 25, S99–203.

  • Brown, K. H. and Wuehler, S. E., Zn and human health: the results of recent trials and implications for program interventions and research. Micronutrient Initiative, Ottawa, Canada, 2000, p. 69.

  • Black, R. E., Allen, L. H., Bhutta, Z. A., Caulfield, L. E., de Onis, M. and Ezzati, M., Maternal and child under nutrition: global and regional exposures and health consequences. Lancet, 2008, 371, 243–260.

  • Kapil, U., Toteja, G. S., Rao, S. and Pandey, R. M., Zn deficiency amongst adolescents in Delhi. Indian Pediatr., 2011, 48, 981–982.

  • Kapil, U. and Jain, K., Magnitude of Zn deficiency amongst under five children in India. Indian J. Pediatr., 2011, 78, 1069–1072.

  • Menon, K. C., Skeaff, S. A., Thomson, C. D., Gray, A. R., Ferguson, E. L. and Zodpey, S., Concurrent micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in non-pregnant rural and tribal women from central India. Nutrition, 2011, 27, 496–502.

  • Apte, S. V. and Iyengar, L., Absorption of dietary Fe in pregnancy. Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 1970, 23, 73–77.

  • NIN, Nutrient requirements and recommended dietary allowances for Indians. A Report of the Expert Group of Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Nutrition, ICMR, Hyderabad, 2010.

  • de Benoist, B., Darnton-Hill, I., Davidsson, L. and Fontaine, O., Report of a WHO/UNICEF/IAEA/IZiNCG interagency meeting on zinc status indicators, held in IAEA headquarters, Vienna. Food Nutr. Bull., 2005, 28, S399–S484.


Abstract Views: 207

PDF Views: 68




  • Nutrients Removed from the Soil Decide the Nutritional Security of a Nation:The Case of Iron and Zinc in India

Abstract Views: 207  |  PDF Views: 68

Authors

A. N. Ganeshamurthy
ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Ivar Kandapura, Bengaluru 560 089, India
D. Kalaivanan
ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Ivar Kandapura, Bengaluru 560 089, India
B. L. Manjunath
ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Ivar Kandapura, Bengaluru 560 089, India

Abstract


National iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) balance were computed using theoretical mean daily per capita dietary Fe and Zn requirement and composition of Fe and Znin foods in agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors. The analyses imply a satisfactory situation that the intake of Fe and Zn through food sources by the Indian population is adequate. Despite sufficient availability of Fe and Zn through food, there is widespread Zn and Fe deficiency in our population.Ours is a vegetarian-dominant society. The phytate content of our foods is relatively high as the phytate content of vegetarian diets is high. This may be the main cause of the low absorption of Zn and Fe from the foods we eat. A sector-wise contribution indicated a major share of the agriculture sector, followed by the animal husbandry sector. Surprisingly, horticulture sector contributed a small portion (9.1% Zn and 12.9% Fe). The fisheries sector contributed the least.Given the multiple sources of uncertainty in following this method, caution must be exercised in interpreting the estimated figures for prevalence. Since our food sources are supplying enough Fe and Zn, our research efforts should therefore be diverted towards bioavailability rather than bio-fortification.

Keywords


Bioavailability, Food Sources, Iron, Micronutrient Deficiency, Vegetarian Diet, Zinc.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv113%2Fi06%2F1167-1173