Objective: Lack of diversity is a major factor contributing to inadequate nutrient intakes among children during the complementary feeding period in many rural areas in developing countries. This has been attributed to inadequate feeding practices and nutrition knowledge among their caregivers. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of an educational intervention on children's dietary diversity and nutrition knowledge of caregivers. Design: Cluster randomization was applied and twenty matched village pairs were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The nutrition education intervention consisted of four sessions comprising of group trainings and cooking demonstrations that were conducted over a period of 5 months. Setting: Households in rural communities in Bondo and Teso South sub-counties, western Kenya. Subjects: Caregivers with children aged 6-17 months receiving nutrition education. Results: The children's dietary diversity scores (CDDS) and nutrition knowledge scores of the caregivers improved significantly in the intervention group at endline. The treatment effect on CDDS was positive and significant (P = 0·001). The CDDS rate of the children in the intervention group was 27 % larger than it would have been without the treatment effect. The intervention also had a significant effect on the caregivers' nutrition knowledge scores (incidence rate ratio = 2·05; P < 0·001). However, the nutrition knowledge of the caregivers did not have a significant effect on CDDS (P = 0·731). Conclusions: The nutrition education intervention led to improvements in children's dietary diversity and nutrition knowledge of the caregivers. Keywords Nutrition education Complementary feeding Dietary diversity Caregivers InterventionMalnutrition among children under 5 years of age is still a widespread problem in many developing countries. Worldwide, approximately 162 million children under 5 years are stunted, while 99 million and 51 million are underweight and wasted, respectively (1) . An analysis of data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys (KDHS) over the last three decades shows that there has been a slow decline in the prevalence of malnutrition among young children in Kenya (2,3) . Data from the 2008-2009 KDHS showed that in Kenya, 35 % of children aged <5 years were stunted, 16 % were underweight and 7 % were wasted. The prevalence of stunting was highest (46 %) among children aged 18-24 months and 42 % among those aged 6-12 months. Stunting rates were highest among children living in rural areas (37 %) compared with those living in urban areas (26 %) (4) .While the causes of malnutrition are complex, inappropriate feeding practices during the complementary feeding period have been identified as major factors contributing to inadequate nutrient intakes among infants and young children (5)(6)(7)(8)(9) . While consuming a variety of foods is important for meeting essential nutrient requirements needed to promote growth, traditional diets fed to children in developing countries ...

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Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is a vegetable with pantropical distribution. It contains substances with antidiabetic properties such as charantin, vicine, and polypeptide-p, as well as other unspecific bioactive components such as antioxidants. Metabolic and hypoglycemic effects of bitter gourd extracts have been demonstrated in cell culture, animal, and human studies. The mechanism of action, whether it is via regulation of insulin release or altered glucose metabolism and its insulin-like effect, is still under debate. Adverse effects are also known. Nevertheless, bitter gourd has the potential to become a component of the diet or a dietary supplement for diabetic and prediabetic patients. Welldesigned interdisciplinary research by nutritionists, medical doctors, and agronomists is needed before a dietary recommendation can be given and a product brought to the market.

Background. Many developing countries are experiencing a rapid nutrition transition in urban areas.Objective. (ρ = 0.192, p = .005) and between the animal products pattern and wealth (ρ = 0.168, p = .002

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