The Role of Fish in Food-Based Strategies to Combat Vitamin A and Mineral Deficiencies in Developing Countries1,

Abstract

Fish is important in the diets and livelihoods of many poor people suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In this article, fish intake in rural Bangladesh and Cambodia and the vitamin A, calcium, iron, and zinc contents and nutrient bioavailability of commonly consumed species are presented. The contribution of these species to nutrient intakes as well as their potential to meet dietary recommendations are presented and discussed. Data from consumption surveys were analyzed to obtain fish intake by species. Commonly consumed species were analyzed for nutrient contents, and studies on nutrient bioavailability were conducted. In poor, rural, Bangladeshi households, mean fish intake was 13-83 g raw, whole fish per person/d. Frequency of intake of small fish was high, and small fish made up 50-80% of all fish eaten during the fish production season in rural Bangladesh and Cambodia. Many small fish are eaten whole and therefore are a rich calcium source; some are also rich in vitamin A, iron, and zinc. Even small production of the vitamin A-rich fish mola in ponds in Bangladesh can meet the annual vitamin A recommendation of 2 million children, and a traditional daily meal with the iron-rich fish trey changwa plieng can meet 45% of the daily median iron requirement of Cambodian women. Fish consumption data on the species level, nutrient analyses, awareness of the nutritional value of fish, as well as promotion of the production and accessibility of nutrient-dense species can lead to the use of fish in food-based strategies to combat nutrient deficiencies in poor people in Asia and Africa.

Feeding 9 billion by 2050 – Putting fish back on the menu

“…Some of these small fish (such as mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), darkina (Esomus danricus), sardines and pilchards, anchovy, seabass, tilapia) contain high levels of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, iron and selenium, which are low in other foods. The potential contribution that fish (even in small quantity) can therefore offer to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies is now being recognized (e.g., Roos et al 2007;Kawarazuka and Béné 2011;Thilsted 2012). For instance, the high level of iodine found in fish can help prevent iodine deficiency which is known to cause cretinism (stunted growth and mental retardation).…”

The potential role of small fish species in improving micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries: building evidence

“…As a consequence, several studies have indicated the actual nutrient content of the edible part by reflecting the local methods used to clean and prepare the fish for the meal (e.g. leaving or cutting off the head, removing a part of the viscera) and correcting the calculation for plate waste after meals (8,(23)(24)(25)32) (see Table 2 for details).…”

Homestead pond polyculture can improve access to nutritious small fish

“…In contrast, a large diversity of fish species (more than 270), particularly small indigenous fish species (SIS, growing to a maximum length of 25 cm) are available from inland capture fisheries. Unlike large fish, many of these SIS, which are consumed whole with head and bones, provide a significant source of bioavailable calcium, zinc, iron and vitamin A (Bogard et al 2015;Roos et al 2007a). Combining SIS with large species in homestead pond polyculture, offers opportunity to increase household dietary diversity and micronutrient intake (Bogard et al 2015;Thilsted 2012a).…”