Food-Based Approaches For Combating Iron Deficiency by Brian Thompson

Iron deficiency is a serious and widespread public health problem. The scale and magnitude of the problem combined with the functional impact such deficiencies have on the quality of life, both physiologically and socioeconomically, require the urgent adoption of known and effective measures. However, the focus of development practitioners on their own narrow area of interest or expertise, be it health care or food, has prevented the realization of a truly comprehensive approach being taken to tackle this critical problem. This chapter is an effort to correct this imbalance and to place food-based approaches back into the center of the debate and to encourage their adoption on a broader scale as a matter of priority.

Open Source Link :  ftp://ftp.fao.org/ag/agn/nutrition/Kapitel_21_210207.pdf

Tamarindus Indica L. – A Review Of Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry And Pharmacology by Emmy De Caluwe , Katerina Halamova , Patrick Van Damme

Tamarind or Tamarindus indica L. of the Fabaceae, subfamily Caesalpinioideae, is an important food in the tropics. It is a multipurpose tree of which almost every part finds at least some use (Kumar & Bhattacharya, 2008), either nutritional or medicinal. Tamarind is indigenous to tropical Africa but it has been introduced and naturalized worldwide in over 50 countries. The major production areas are in the Asian countries India and Thailand, but also in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia.
In America, Mexico and Costa Rica are the biggest producers. Africa on the whole does not produce tamarind on a commercial scale, though it is widely used by the local people. Minor producing countries in Africa are Senegal, Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Link : https://doaj.org/article/dfac702a3b204ad0b74ee0b9fe9b849f

Highlights of Forty Years of Research on Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis in India by S P S Teotia , M Teotia and K P Singh

Endemic skeletal fluorosis is the state of chronic fluoride intoxication caused by high intakes of natural fluoride through drinking water. Intake through beverage is also harmful, depending on its contents of high fluoride water. Intake through foods is not of practical nor clinical importance, even in the endemic areas where the fluoride concentration in crops is relatively high.

Link : http://www.de-fluoride.net/4thproceedings/107-125.pdf

Nutrition : Annual Report 2003-2004

In the field of nutrition, major thrust of the Council was on providing technical support and guidance to strengthen the ongoing national nutrition programmes. Community surveys were undertaken besides studies on women’s nutritional status, diet related cancers, micronutrient deficiencies, non-communicable diseases due to nutritional deficiencies such as diabetes, cataract etc. Surveys were also conducted for finding out nutritional status of tribals in various states of the country. The Council’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad undertakes most of the studies in nutrition.

Health and Nutrition Profile of Tribals of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh By Tapas Chakma, P. Vinay Rao, P.K. Meshram, S.B. Singh

Central India, which constitutes mainly of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and its adjoining area, holds 23% of the total population of the country. Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh has about 46 Scheduled Tribes of which 7 of them are declared as primitive tribes. The primitive tribes are Saharias of Chambal division, Bharias of Patalkot, Baigas of Baigachak area, Hill Korbas and Birhors of Sarguja, Kamars of Raipur and Abujhmarias of Bastar. Due to different socio-cultural milieu, different diseases are prevailing among them. However, some of the diseases are common among all these primitive tribes: like acute respiratory infections, sexually transmitted diseases, diarrhoeal diseases and nutritional disorders are common among all these tribes. Some of the genetic disorders like sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia are restricted to their clan because of consanguineous marriages.

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242132190_Health_and_Nutrition_Profile_of_Tribals_of_Madhya_Pradesh_and_Chhattisgarh

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

This Article contains tables of recommended dietary as given bellow :

1.  Recommended Intakes for Individuals, Vitamins

2. Recommended Intakes for Individuals, Elements

3. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULa), Vitamins

4. Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULa), Elements

5. Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) for Men and Women 30 Years of Age

6. Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges

7. Recommended Intakes for Individuals, Macronutrients

8. Additional Macronutrient Recommendations

9. Estimated Average Requirements for Groups

Link : https://fnic.nal.usda.gov/sites/fnic.nal.usda.gov/files/uploads/recommended_intakes_individuals.pdf

Tea And Bone Health: Findings From Human Studies, Potential Mechanisms, And Identification Of Knowledge Gaps by Leslie A. Nash, Wendy E. Ward

The population of the developed world is aging. With this aging population, strategies for prevention rather than treatment of chronic disease, such as osteoporosis, are essential for preserving quality of life and reducing health care costs. Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world and is a rich source of flavonoids that may benefit bone health. There is strong evidence from human studies that habitual tea consumption is positively associated with higher BMD at multiple skeletal sites, while the association with fracture risk is less clear. Fracture studies demonstrate a reduction or no difference in fragility fracture with tea consumption. There are key questions that need to be answered in future studies to clarify if higher consumption of tea not only supports a healthy BMD, but also reduces the risk of fragility fracture. And if the latter relationship is shown to exist, studies to elucidate mechanisms can be designed and executed. This review discusses findings from epidemiological studies as well as potential mechanisms by which flavonoids in tea may mediate an effect, and identifies key knowledge gaps in this research area.

Effectiveness Of A Rural Sanitation Programme On Diarrhoea, Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infection, And Child Malnutrition In Odisha, India: A Cluster-Randomised Trial By Thomas Clasen, Sophie Boisson, Parimita Routray, Belen Torondel, Melissa Bell, Oliver Cumming, Jeroen Ensink, Matthew Freeman, Marion Jenkins, Mitsunori Odagiri, Subhajyoti Ray, Antara Sinha, Mrutyunjay Suar, Wolf-Peter Schmidt

A third of the 2·5 billion people worldwide without access to improved sanitation live in India, as do
two-thirds of the 1·1 billion practising open defecation and a quarter of the 1·5 million who die annually from diarrhoeal diseases. We aimed to assess the eff ectiveness of a rural sanitation intervention, within the context of the Government of India’s Total Sanitation Campaign, to prevent diarrhoea, soil-transmitted helminth infection, and child malnutrition.

Link : http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X14703079

Skeletal Fluorosis In Relation To Drinking Water, Nutritional Status And Living Habits In Rural Areas Of Maharashtra, India By Varsha Dhurvey , Sonali Dhawas

Fluorosis is an endemic disease resulting from excess intake of fluoride (F) through drinking water,
food or dentrifices. Skeletal fluorosis is caused by prolonged intake of excessive amounts of fluoride. Endemic skeletal fluorosis is widely prevalent in India and in many countries around the world but it is a major public health problem in some 25 countries in Asia and Africa. Good nutrition is as important for bone health as it is for general health. The severity of fluoride toxicity depends on the concentration of fluoride in drinking water, daily intake of fluoride, continuity and duration of exposure to fluoride, although the adequate nutrient intakes of calcium, vitamin D, and protein are of critical importance for bone health, phosphorus and certain trace minerals (magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc) and vitamin C and K are also involved in bone health.

Link : http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/dhurvey-2014.pdf

Ameliorative Effect Of Epigallocatechin Gallate On Sodium Fluoride Induced Oxidative Stress Mediated Metabolism In Rat by S. Thangapandiyan , S. Miltonprabu

Fluorosis is the phenomenon caused by excessive ingestion of fluoride for a prolonged period of time. Intrinsic geological re-sources and more recently the arrival of increased industrialization and attendant ecological contaminated waste have contributed seriously to the increasing incidence of fluoride-related human health problem. High stratum of fluoride in drinking water has become a future health hazard all over the world, approximately with 66.62 million victims in India alone. Fluoride enters the hu-man and animal body through drinking water and to a slight extent through food (Susheela 2007). High quantity of fluoride ingestion causes metabolic anarchism, by interacting with a variety of cellu-lar processes such as gene expression, cell cycle, proliferation and migration, respiration, metabolism, ion transport, secretion, endo-cytosis, apoptosis, necrosis and oxidative stress, and disrupts the antioxidant security system in the body (Strunecka et al. 2007; Barbier et al. 2010). Numerous studies have shown that fluorosis may induce nucleotide damage, inhibition of protein synthesis and alters mitochondrial functions resulting in the energy deficient state of the cell (Jeng et al. 1998). Fluoride has already been re-ported to be hyperglycemic, hyperlipidemics, in fasting blood glucose levels in laboratory animals, which was attributed to lower Insulin levels (Rupal et al. 2010; Gracia-Montalvo et al. 2009). Philips and Hart (1935) first demonstrated that lipid metabolism was altered by toxic levels of fluoride given to rats. Fluoride expo-sure is resulting in generation of superoxide anion (O2-), and its downstream consequences such as hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals, which are important in medi-ating the toxic effects of fluoride (Barbier et al. 2010). Oxidative stress mediated free radical generation is known to be one of the most important mechanisms of fluoride toxicity (Nabavi et al. 2012). Fluoride has the ability to initiate respiratory burst and stimulate the generation of free radicals, which change the struc-ture and permeability of cell membranes and impair the cell func-tion (Chlubek 2003). Numerous studies have indicated an in-creased oxidative stress in the serum, liver and brain of animals exposed to fluoride (Grucka-Mamczar et al. 2009). Moreover, fluoride affects the activity of enzymes constituting the cell anti-oxidant system whose role is to protect against free radicals (Chinnoy 2003).

Link: http://www.sciencepubco.com/index.php/IJPT/article/view/3010

The Association between Malnutrition, Sorghum (Jowar) and Dental Fluorosis among School Children in Urban Field Practice area of S.N. Medical College, Bagalkot, Karnataka by Gowri Shankar , Parappa Sajjan , Manjula R , Ramesh Mayappanavar , Sarojini Hunshikatti

Endemic fluorosis is widely prevalent in India where sixty million of the population in 200 districts of 20 states is at risk. Already six million Indians are disabled because of fluorosis and a tenth of them might develop neurological sequelae. Fluorosis in humans is predominantly dental and skeletal. This study was done in September 2011 to know the level of dental fluorosis in primary school children in urban field practice area of S.N.Medical College, Bagalkot and to associate between malnutrition and jowar consumption. Socio demographic profile and source of drinking water data were collected. Anthropometric measurements were recorded and body mass index percentile calculated. Dental fluorosis was assessed according to Dean’s fluorosis index. Drinking water samples were analyzed for total hardness and fluoride by Orion PH meter 920 A model with fluoride pH electrode Out of 227 children enrolled from standard I to VII (6 years to 12 years of age) in the Government Primary School, 171 (75.33%) were present on the day of the study It was observed that 102 students (59.65%) had Dental fluorosis and in them 72(70.59%) were under weight. Water  analysis revealed that samples from 5 borewells were not potable.

Integrating Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Into Nutrition Programming by WASHplus

Diarrhea, pneumonia and birth complications are the top three killers of children under age 5 worldwide. Each year diarrhea alone causes the death of 760,000 children under If mothers and other caregivers used basic 5 (11 percent of all child mortality). Diarrhea is also a leading cause of undernutrition in this age group and one-third to one-half of all child mortality cases are linked to undernutrition. UNICEF estimates that more than 90 percent of deaths from diarrheal illnesses in young children can be attributed to unsafe or inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices.hygiene practices and had better access to safe water and adequate sanitation this could greatly reduce under 5 deaths and improve child nutrition.

Link : http://www.washplus.org/sites/default/files/wash_nutrition2013.pdf

In Vitro Calcium Bioaccessibility In Moringa oleifera Vegetable Leaves: Potential Plant Food To Increase Dietary Calcium Intake In Developing Countries By Issa, Joseph Yohane

Low calcium intake, poor calcium absorption, exessive calcium losses, or some combination of these factors contribute to calcium deficiency diseases. Calcium deficiency can lead osteoporosis, reduced bone mass, hypertension and colon cancer among other diseases.Calcium in bones plays a role in bone mineralization. In other body tissues it plays roles in mediating vascular contraction and vasodilation, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and glandular secretion.The best food sources of calcium include milk and dairy products, especially cheese and yogurt, and selected seafoods, such as salmon and sardines (with bones), clams, and oysters. Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of calcium is high in milk and dairy products due to the presence of lactose and other factors. However,
calcium bioavailability or bioaccessibility is low in most vegetable plants due to presence of other substances like oxalic acid, phytate and other competing minerals.

Link : http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/bitstream/1840.16/7742/1/etd.pdf

Nutrient Content And Amino Acid Composition Of The Leaves Of Cassia Tora And Celtis Integrifolia by Kubmarawa D., Magomya A.M., Yebpella G.G. and Adedayo S.A.

Wild plants play an important role in the diet of most rural dwellers in Nigeria. These plants tend to be drought resistant and are gathered both in times of plenty as well as times of need. Throughout the year, the plants play an important role in supplying nutrients and calories especially during the dry season when cultivated vegetables are scarce. (Freiberger et al, 1998). Although commonly eaten in the rural areas they are also consumed by urban people who buy from traders who also collect them from the wild. Two such plants are Cassia tora and Celtis integrifolia.

Link : http://www.interesjournals.org/irjbb/october-2011-vol-1-issue-9/nutrient-content-and-amino-acid-composition-of-the-leaves-of-cassia-tora-and-celtis-integrifolia

In Vivo & In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory Activity Of The Methanolic Extract And Isolated Compound From The Leaves Of Cassia Tora L. (Leguminosae/Caesalpinaceae) By Amalesh Samanta , Gouranga Das , Soma Ghosh, Durbadal Ojha

The methanolic extract of leaves of Cassia tora L, family Leguminosae/Caesalpinaceae was showed anti-inflammatory activity by in vivo (carrageenan & dextran induced paw edema, exudative  inflammation and cotton pellet granuloma) methods and in vitro (cyclooxygenase inhibition) model at different doses. Methanolic extract produced significant anti-inflammatory activity as compared to indomethacin. Furthermore, the bio activity guided investigation showed the presence of quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (CT-1) as major chemical constituent, which was identified by spectroscopic  analysis and it shown significant anti- inflammatory activity. The study confirmed that flavonoid glycoside of C. tora L are responsible for anti-inflammatory activity.

Calcium Bioavailability From A Fortified Cereal-Legume Snack (Laddoo) By Veena H. Ekbote (M.Sc.), Saumitra Kant (M.B.B.S.) , Anuradha V. Khadilkar (M.D.), Shashi A. Chiplonkar (Ph.D.) , Vaman V. Khadilkar (M.D) , M. Zulf Mughal (M.B.Ch.B., D.C.H., F.R.C.P.C.H)

Calcium intakes in underprivileged Indian children are often low. Improving calcium intake fortification of indigenous foods may be a viable strategy. The aim of this study was to evaluate calcium absorption, as judged by an acute increase in serum ionized calcium concentration, after ingestion of a calcium-fortified cereal-legume snack (laddoo). Methods: Three groups of eight children (8–12 y old) with low habitual dietary calcium intake were recruited for the study. After an overnight fast, a calcium-fortified (500 mg of calcium carbonate) cereal-legume snack (laddoo) was given to group A, a similar but non-fortified snack was given to group B, and group C received calcium carbonate (500 mg) alone. Serum concentrations of ionized calcium and intact parathyroid hormone were measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h. Results: In group A, a peak of 6% above baseline was observed at 1 h in serum ionized calcium, whereas group C showed a peak of 5.5% at 4 h and group B showed a small increase of 1.8% at 1 h. The change in area under curve of groups A and C were of similar order (4.6 and 5.5, respectively), whereas that of group B was significantly lower (0.82). Serum parathyroid hormone was lowest at 2 h in groups A and B and at 3 h in group C.

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shashi_Chiplonkar2/publication/261531458_calcium_Bioavailability_paper/links/0deec5348173c7bd3b000000.pdf

Reference Intervals Of Serum Calcium, Ionized Calcium, Phosphate And Alkaline Phosphatase In Healthy Indian School Children And Adolescents By R.K. Marwaha , K. Bhadra , R. Khadgawat , M. Kalaivani , N. Tandon , R. Kanwar , A. Narang , A. Sastry

Many physiological changes occur during the adolescence period which are under hormonal and to some extent environmental control and lead eventually to physical maturity [1]. Biochemical changes
during this period have received particular attention in various studies [2,3]. Though biochemical reference values in apparently healthy adults have been well documented, similar data in children and adolescent age group are scanty, making the interpretation of biochemical tests difficult. Age specific reference intervals and specimen collection issues are special concerns in pediatric practice [4]. In view of difficulty in collecting large number of samples from children, reference intervals have been formulated using samples from hospitalized population [5]. Serum calcium (SCa), phosphate (SPO4) and alkaline phosphatase (SAP) levels are known to vary with age.

Antioxidant Activity And Total Phenolics In Leaves Extracts Of Cassia Tora By Vedpriya Arya, J. P. Yadav

The leaves of Cassia tora (local name – puvad) are usually consumed as food ingredient in traditional recepies by local people of Haryana. In the present study, the antioxidant potency of sequential organic (petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, methanol) and aqueous leaf extracts of Cassia tora plant was investigated by using various established in vitro systems such as nitric oxide scavenging activity, β- carotene linoleic acid model system, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, reducing power, metal chelating activity and super oxide radical scavenging activity. The methanolic extract of the leaves of C. tora was found to be more effective against free radicals followed by aqueous and other organic extracts respectively. A preliminary study for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of phenolics was performed and the results were correlated with different antioxidant tests. A positive and significant correlation was observed (R2= 0.4626 to 0.9961) between various test systems and total phenolics showed that the phenolic compounds were responsible for the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The data obtained from the in vitro models clearly establish the antioxidant potency of leaf extracts of C. tora. 

Link : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257890983_Antioxidant_activity_and_total_phenolics_in_leaves_extract_of_Cassia_tora_L

Nutrient Requirements And Recommended Dietary Allowances For Indians by Indian Council of Medical Research

In India, the first attempt to define nutrient requirements and desirable dietary intakes of nutrients for Indians to maintain good health was made by the Nutrition Advisory Committee of the Indian Research Fund Association [Now Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)] in 1944 (1.1). This followed the recommendations made by the Technical Committee of the Health Committee, League of Nations in 1936 (1.2), Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council, USA, 1944 (1.3) and Report of the Committee of Nutrition, British Medical Association 1933 (1.4). At that time, requirement and allowances of only energy, protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid and vitamin D for Indians were considered. Considering these recommendations of nutrients, a typical balanced diet based on habitual Indian dietary habits was formulated to provide all the nutrients for a normal adult man of 55 kg and a normal adult woman of 45 kg body weight (1.5). This was used to demonstrate that the diet then consumed by Indians, particularly by the poor, was deficient in several nutrients and could be improved by inclusion of some protective foods.

Link : http://icmr.nic.in/final/rda-2010.pdf

Inhibitory Effects Of Spices And Herbs On Iron Availability By Siriporn Tuntipopipat , Pudsadee Siriprapa & Somsri Charoenkiatkul , Christophe Zeder

Spices and herbs are extensively used in indigenous diets in tropical regions where prevalence of iron deficiency is still high. They are rich in polyphenolic compounds that are expected to inhibit iron absorption by forming iron complexes in the intestine, making dietary iron less available for absorption. The effects of six spices and herbs (chili pepper, garlic, ‘Pak kyheng’ (Thai leafy vegetable), shallot, tamarind, turmeric) and one mixture of spices (curry paste) on iron availability were determined by measuring the percentage dialyzable iron after addition of spices and herbs to a rice meal after simulated digestion. All tested spices and herbs contained from 0.5 to 33 mg polyphenol per meal and were potent inhibitors of iron availability (2090%), reducing iron availability in a dose-dependent manner*with the exception of tamarind, which at 11 mg polyphenol per meal enhanced iron availability. Our findings demonstrate that culinary spices and herbs can play an important role in iron nutrition.