Staple crops biofortified with increased micronutrient content: effects on vitamin and mineral status, as well as health and cognitive function in the general population

Garcı́a-Casal, Marı́a Nieves; Peña‐Rosas, Juan Pablo; Pachón, Helena; De-Regil, Luz María; Tablante, Elizabeth Centeno; Flores-Urrutia, Monica C

doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012311

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 43 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For OFSPs, which are visibly different than other sweet potato varieties, awareness has been shown to be a driver of consumption/adoption aside from other factors such as organoleptic characteristics, taste preferences, and access to planting material ( 24 ). To further increase awareness, multiple and strategic awareness campaigns and other information-sharing efforts targeting consumers and farmers could be implemented, which would likely have a beneficial effect on the adoption rate and demand creation ( 3 , 25 , 26 ). Those campaigns could entail BCC activities to promote the production and consumption of biofortified crops as well as educational activities and messages related to positive health behaviors and child care and feeding practices ( 10 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Coverage of Biofortified Foods: Development and Testing of Methods and Indicators in Musanze, Rwanda

Petry¹,

Wirth²,

Friesen

et al. 2020

Current Developments in Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Biofortification of staple crops has the potential to increase nutrient intakes and improve health outcomes. Despite program data on the number of farming households reached with and growing biofortified crops, information on the coverage of biofortified foods in the general population is often lacking. Such information is needed to ascertain potential for impact and identify bottlenecks to parts of the impact pathway. Objective To develop and test methods and indicators for assessing household coverage of biofortified foods. Methods To assess biofortification programs, 5 indicators of population-wide household coverage were developed, building on approaches previously used to assess large-scale food fortification programs. These were: 1) consumption of the food; 2) awareness of the biofortified food; 3) availability of the biofortified food; 4) consumption of the biofortified food (ever); and 5) consumption of the biofortified food (current). To ensure that the indicators are applicable to different settings they were tested in a cross-sectional household-based cluster survey in rural and peri-urban areas in Musanze District, Rwanda where planting material for iron-biofortified beans (IB) and orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) were delivered. Results Among the 242 households surveyed, consumption of beans and sweet potatoes was 99.2% and 96.3%, respectively. Awareness of IB or OFSP was 65.7% and 48.8%, and availability was 23.6% and 10.7%, respectively. Overall, 15.3% and 10.7% of households reported ever consuming IB and OFSP, and 10.4% and 2.1% of households were currently consuming these foods, respectively. The major bottlenecks to coverage of biofortified foods were awareness and availability. Conclusions These methods and indicators fill a gap in the availability of tools to assess coverage of biofortified foods, and the results of the survey highlight their utility for identifying bottlenecks. Further testing is warranted to confirm the generalizability of the coverage indicators and inform their operationalization when deployed in different settings.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Coverage of Biofortified Foods: Development and Testing of Methods and Indicators in Musanze, Rwanda

Petry¹,

Wirth²,

Friesen

et al. 2020

Current Developments in Nutrition

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Biofortification is a promising and sustainable agriculturebased strategy to minimize Zn and Fe deficiency in dietary food substances (Garcia et al 2016;Petry et al 2016;Vasconcelos et al 2017). Among the different strategies deployed, the plant breeding approach to develop biofortified crops and agronomic supplementation of micronutrients, such as foliar/soil application along with chemical fertilizers, have received maximum attention (Cakmak et al 2010;Di Tomaso 1995;Rengel 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential of microbes in the biofortification of Zn and Fe in dietary food grains. A review

Singh

Prasanna

2020

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Micronutrients are essential factors for human health and integral for plant growth and development. Among the micronutrients, zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiency in dietary food are associated with malnutrition symptoms (hidden hunger), which can be overcome through biofortification. Different strategies, such as traditional and molecular plant breeding or application of chemical supplements along with fertilizers, have been employed to develop biofortified crop varieties with enhanced bioavailability of micronutrients. The use of microorganisms to help the crop plant in more efficient and effective uptake and translocation of Zn and Fe is a promising option that needs to be effectively integrated into agronomic or breeding approaches. However, this is less documented and forms the subject of our review. The major findings related to the mobilization of micronutrients by microorganisms highlighted the significance of (1) acidification of rhizospheric soil and (2) stimulation of secretion of phenolics. Plantmicrobe interaction studies illustrated novel inferences related to the (3) modifications in the root morphology and architecture, (4) reduction of phytic acid in food grains, and (5) upregulation of Zn/Fe transporters. For the biofortification of Zn and Fe, formulation(s) of such microbes (bacteria or fungi) can be explored as seed priming or soil dressing options. Using the modern tools of transcriptomics, metaproteomics, and genomics, the genes/proteins involved in their translocation within the plants of major crops can be identified and engineered for improving the efficacy of plant-microbe interactions. With micronutrient nutrition being of global concern, it is imperative that the synergies of scientists, policy makers, and educationists focus toward developing multipronged approaches that are environmentally sustainable, and integrating such microbial options into the mainframe of integrated farming practices in agriculture. This can lead to better quality and yields of produce, and innovative approaches in food processing can deliver cost-effective nutritious food for the undernourished populations.

show abstract

“…There is growing evidence of nutrition factors such as early stunting and growth on NCD outcomes [ 58 ]. Preventing such states of undernutrition has historically been a key focus of development interventions and recent research has shown the great potential of interventions such as cash transfers [ 49 ], bio-fortification [ 59 ], and improved water and sanitisation [ 60 ] programmes to reduce and prevent stunting prevalence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of poverty reduction and development interventions on non-communicable diseases and their behavioural risk factors in low and lower-middle income countries: A systematic review

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionNon-communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affect low- and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs) where 80% of global NCD related deaths occur. LLMICs are the primary focus of interventions to address development and poverty indicators. We aimed to synthesise the evidence of these interventions' impact on the four primary NCDs (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer) and their common behavioural risk factors (unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use).MethodsWe systematically searched four online databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Global Health) for primary research conducted in LLMICS, published between January 1st 1990 and February 15th 2016. Studies involved development or poverty interventions which reported on outcomes relating to NCDs. We extracted summary level data on study design, population, health outcomes and potential confounders.ResultsFrom 6383 search results, 29 studies from 24 LLMICs published between 1999 and 2015 met our inclusion criteria. The quality of included studies was limited and heterogeneity of outcome measures required narrative synthesis. One study measured impact on NCD prevalence, one physical activity and 27 dietary components. The majority of papers (23), involved agricultural interventions. Primary outcome measures tended to focus on undernutrition. Intensive agricultural interventions were associated with improved calorie, vitamin, fruit and vegetable intake. However, positive impacts were reliant on participant's land ownership, infection status and limited in generalisability. Just three studies measured adult obesity; two indicated increased income and consequential food affordability had the potential to increase obesity. Overall, there was poor alignment between included studies outcome measures and the key policy options and objectives of the Global Action Plan on NCDs.ConclusionsThough many interventions addressing poverty and development have great potential to impact on NCD prevalence and risk, most fail to measure or report these outcomes. Current evidence is limited to behavioural risk factors, namely diet and suggests a positive impact of agricultural-based food security programmes on dietary indicators. However, studies investigating the impact of improved income on obesity tend to show an increased risk. Embedding NCD impact evaluation into development programmes is crucial in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals and the rapid epidemiological transitions facing LLMICs.

show abstract

Staple crops biofortified with increased micronutrient content: effects on vitamin and mineral status, as well as health and cognitive function in the general population

Cited by 26 publications

References 43 publications

Assessing the Coverage of Biofortified Foods: Development and Testing of Methods and Indicators in Musanze, Rwanda

Assessing the Coverage of Biofortified Foods: Development and Testing of Methods and Indicators in Musanze, Rwanda

Potential of microbes in the biofortification of Zn and Fe in dietary food grains. A review

The impact of poverty reduction and development interventions on non-communicable diseases and their behavioural risk factors in low and lower-middle income countries: A systematic review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About