Dietary Strategies to Combat Deficiencies of Iron,Zinc,and Vitamin A in Developing Countries: Development,Implementation,Monitoring,and Evaluation

Abstract

In many developing countries, staple diets are plant-based and consumption of animal products is low. As a result, the intake and bioavailability of iron, zinc, and vitamin A are often poor. Deficiencies of these micronutrients can be prevented by using dietary diversification and modification, a strategy involving changes in food production practices, food selection patterns, and traditional household methods for preparing and processing indigenous foods. Strategies at the food production level include the use of fertilizers, plant breeding, and genetic engineering to enhance the content and bioavailability of micronutrients in plant-based staples and increase the yield of indigenous edible wild plants. Household strategies involve small-livestock production, aquaculture, gardening projects, and changes in certain food preparation and processing practices designed to alter the content of absorption modifiers in the diet, such as soaking, germination, fermentation, and enrichment. This review also describes how these household strategies can best be incorporated into existing food consumption patterns, and how their impact on the nutrient adequacy of the diets can be assessed. the steps necessary to test the acceptability of the modified recipes, to identify potential barriers to their adoption, and to implement them in the community are discussed, using an example from rural Malawi. Finally, methods of monitoring the progress and evaluating the impact of the dietary strategies in short- and long-term studies are included.