scholarly journals Australian Native Plant Foods and Their Contribution to Diet Diversity

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Yasmina Sultanbawa
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Plant Foods ◽  
Hidden Hunger ◽  
Australian Native Plant

The triple burden of malnutrition is identified with overnutrition, undernutrition and hidden hunger. Although global food production in terms of calories has kept pace with population growth, low-quality diets that lead to micronutrient deficiencies and chronic diseases have become a global problem. Over 2 billion people globally suffer from micronutrient deficiencies as a result of insufficient intake of vitamins and trace elements in the diet. Currently, about 60% of dietary calories come from staple foods such as rice, maize, wheat, potato and soybean. There is a clear relationship between the reliance on a few staple crops or low dietary diversity and malnutrition. Dietary diversity is increased when consumption of cereals is accompanied by a high intake of fruits, vegetables and pulses. The occurrence of antioxidants and important dietary phytochemicals in these underutilised fruits and vegetables further enhances their value as dietary interventions to promote health and wellbeing. Australian native plant foods are rich sources of micro nutrients. Some better known examples are, the Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) which is a good source of vitamin C, green plum (Buchanania obovata) which is rich in folates and the wattle seeds (Acacia spp.) which are high in protein, dietary fibre and trace elements. Therefore, there is a need to develop strategies to include these food crops in nutrition intervention programmes and promote them as healthy food choices to be incorporated into the diets of Australians. The introduction of Australian native plant foods among nutritionally vulnerable communities where undernutrition, hidden hunger and chronic diseases have been reported will help alleviate these health problems.

scholarly journals Diet Diversity in Andasibe, Madagascar

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 883-883
Author(s):  
Holly Parker ◽  
Alisha Farris ◽  
Derek Miketinas
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin A ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Stunted Growth ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Food And Agriculture Organization ◽  
24 Hour Recall

Abstract Objectives In Madagascar, over 75% of the population is impoverished and 50% of children experience stunted growth with lifelong health and developmental implications. Beyond inadequate energy intake, diet homogeneity contributes to macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies underlying underdeveloped organ and skeletal system. Research measuring diet diversity of the rural Malagasy population is lacking. A pilot diet-diversity study was conducted in the rural village of Andasibe to identify specific dietary components missing from the Malagasy diet. Methods Diet diversity data were obtained using guidelines established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Over a 6-week period, 24-hour dietary recalls were collected of 150 representative adult household members- typically the mother or father of the household. Subjects provided verbal accounts of food and beverages consumed the day prior. Researchers then guided participants through a list of foods to capture any forgotten items. Foods recorded in the dietary recalls were assigned to categories based on nutrients of interest related to malnutrition and other diseases of nutrition inadequacy. Diet diversity scores (DDS) were assigned corresponding to food categories included in the 24-hour recall. Results The average DDS of all surveys was 4 of a possible 9, corresponding to “medium” diet diversity. 37% of subjects received a “low” DDS and consumed between 1–3 food categories per day. 15% of participants received a “high” DDS and consumed between 6–8 categories per day. Categories unreported in the average recall were “legumes, nuts, and seeds”; “vitamin A-rich fruit and vegetable”; and “milk and milk products”. Animal protein from sources such as meat or fish, dairy products, or eggs was not reported in most recalls. Conclusions Low consumption of protein, vitamin A, and iron-containing items on a given day may be indicative of dietary inadequacies related to stunting and morbidity. Diet diversity data allows for basic quantification of the extent of dietary homogeneity in Andasibe, which likely mimics that of other Malagasy villages and identifies priority areas for future nutrition intervention. Funding Sources Funding was provided by Auburn University's Office of Undergraduate Research and the College of Human Sciences.

Lexicon for the Sensory Description of Australian Native Plant Foods and Ingredients

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 471-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.E. Smyth ◽  
J.E. Sanderson ◽  
Y. Sultanbawa
Keyword(s):  
Native Plant ◽  
Plant Foods ◽  
Australian Native Plant

scholarly journals The Framework for Responsible Research With Australian Native Plant Foods: A Food Chemist's Perspective

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selina Fyfe ◽  
Heather E. Smyth ◽  
Horst Joachim Schirra ◽  
Michael Rychlik ◽  
Yasmina Sultanbawa
Keyword(s):  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Food Chemistry ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Ethical Guidelines ◽  
Plant Foods ◽  
Australian Native Plant ◽  
Responsible Research

Australia is a rich source of biodiverse native plants that are mostly unstudied by western food science despite many of them being ethnofoods of Australian Indigenous people. Finding and understanding the relevant policy and legal requirements to scientifically assess these plants in a responsible way is a major challenge for food scientists. This work aims to give an overview of what the legal and policy framework is in relation to food chemistry on Australian native plant foods, to clarify the relationships between the guidelines, laws, policies and ethics and to discuss some of the challenges they present in food chemistry. This work provides the framework of Indigenous rights, international treaties, federal and state laws and ethical guidelines including key legislation and guidelines. It discusses the specific areas that are applicable to food chemistry: the collection of plant foods, the analysis of the samples and working with Indigenous communities. This brief perspective presents a framework that can be utilized by food chemists when developing responsible research involving plant foods native to northern Australia and can help them understand some of the complexity of working in this research area.

scholarly journals Dietary Diversity and Anthropometric Status of Mother–Child Pairs from Enset (False Banana) Staple Areas: A Panel Evidence from Southern Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 2170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tafese Bosha ◽  
Christine Lambert ◽  
Simon Riedel ◽  
Aberra Melesse ◽  
Hans K. Biesalski
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Rank Test ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Maternal Undernutrition ◽  
Anthropometric Status ◽  
Normally Distributed

Background: A sizable cross-sectional studies demonstrated a low dietary diversity in Southern Ethiopia. However, its seasonal trend has not been well studied in areas where nutrient-poor enset (false banana (Ensete ventricosum)) foods are major staple. Moreover, there is scarcity of information on seasonal nature of anthropometric status of mother–child pairs (MCP) from the same areas in Southern Ethiopia. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the dietary diversity and anthropometric status of MCP in postharvest dry and lean wet seasons and identify factors associated with anthropometric status. Methods: The dietary intake and anthropometric data were collected from 578 households (578 mothers and 578 children) January–June 2017. The study compared data of the two seasons using McNemar’s test for dichotomous, Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-normally distributed, and paired samples t-test for normally distributed continuous data. Logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors for malnutrition. In addition, Spearman’s Rho test was used to determine correlations between maternal and child variables. Results: Over 94% of the mothers did not fulfil the minimum diet diversity score in both seasons. The meal frequency and pulses/legumes intake significantly declined in lean wet season; however, dark green leaves consumption increased. Meat, poultry, and fish consumption dropped to almost zero in the lean wet season. The dietary diversity and anthropometric status of the MCP were correlated. Weight-for-age (WAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) of children significantly declined in the lean wet season. In the same way, maternal mid upper arm circumference (MUAC), body weight, and body mass index (BMI) dropped (p < 0.001) in this season. Being pregnant and a lactating mother, poverty, and the ability to make decisions independently predicted maternal undernutrition (low MUAC). On the other hand, maternal undernutrition and education were associated with child underweight. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the dietary diversity of MCP is low in both postharvest dry and lean wet seasons. This suggests the need for continuous nutrition intervention to improve the dietary diversity. In addition, the anthropometric status of MCP declines in lean wet season. This may provide some clue for policy targeting on improving nutritional status of mothers and children in rural Southern Ethiopia.

scholarly journals Native Plant Capacity for Gentle Remediation in Heavily Polluted Mines

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1769
Author(s):  
María Noelia Jiménez ◽  
Gianluigi Bacchetta ◽  
Francisco Bruno Navarro ◽  
Mauro Casti ◽  
Emilia Fernández-Ondoño
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Aerial Part ◽  
Bioaccumulation Factor ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Dittrichia Viscosa ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cistus Salviifolius ◽  
Plant Capacity

The use of plant species to stabilize and accumulate trace elements in contaminated soils is considered of great usefulness given the difficulty of decontaminating large areas subjected to mining for long periods. In this work, the bioaccumulation of trace elements is studied by relating the concentrations in leaves and roots of three plants of Mediterranean distribution (Dittrichia viscosa, Cistus salviifolius, Euphorbia pithyusa subsp. cupanii) with the concentrations of trace elements in contaminated and uncontaminated soils. Furthermore, in the case of D. viscosa, to know the concentration of each element by biomass, the pool of trace elements was determined both in the aerial part and in the roots. The bioaccumulation factor was not high enough in any of the species studied to be considered as phytoextractors. However, species like the ones studied in this work that live on soils with a wide range of concentration of trace elements and that develop a considerable biomass could be considered for stabilization of contaminated soils. The plant species studied in this work are good candidates for gentle-remediation options in the polluted Mediterranean.

scholarly journals Nutrition Intervention Using Behavioral Change Communication without Additional Material Inputs Increased Expenditures on Key Food Groups in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 (5) ◽  
pp. 1284-1290
Author(s):  
Andrea M Warren ◽  
Edward A Frongillo ◽  
Phuong H Nguyen ◽  
Purnima Menon
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Child Feeding ◽  
Additional Material ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
Intensive Intervention ◽  
Percentage Points ◽  
Food Expenditures

ABSTRACT Background Behavioral change communication (BCC) promotes skills and knowledge to improve infant and young child feeding, but without additional material inputs, recipients must develop strategies to translate knowledge into action. Using data from the Alive & Thrive initiative in Bangladesh (2010–2014), we aimed to test whether households receiving the intensive intervention (opposed to the nonintensive intervention) increased expenditures on key foods for mothers and children (e.g., foods that were promoted by the intervention and also changed in maternal and child diets). Methods The intensive intervention provided interpersonal counseling, community mobilization, and mass media campaigns to promote breastfeeding and complementary feeding. A cluster-randomized design compared 20 subdistricts randomly assigned to the intensive (4281 households) or nonintensive (4284 households) intervention. Measures included food and nonfood expenditures, dietary diversity, and women's economic resources. Linear and logistic regression tested difference-in-differences (DD) in expenditures and dietary diversity, accounting for subdistricts as clusters, and the association between maternal and child consumption of specific food groups and corresponding food expenditures. Results Expenditures on eggs and flesh foods increased more in intensive areas than in nonintensive areas by 53 (P &lt; 0.01) and 471 (P &lt; 0.01) taka/mo, respectively. Household food expenditures increased more in intensive areas by 832 taka (P = 0.02), whereas changes in nonfood expenditures did not differ. Women's employment and control of income increased more in intensive areas by 12 (P = 0.03) and 13 (P &lt; 0.01) percentage points, respectively, while jewelry ownership decreased more by 23 percentage points (P &lt; 0.01). Higher expenditures on food groups were reflected in higher consumption by women and children. Conclusions Recipients in the intensive intervention mobilized additional resources to improve diets, reflected in increased expenditures and consumption of promoted foods. BCC interventions should document how recipients produce desired results without additional material inputs, particularly for behaviors that likely require additional resources. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01678716.

Optimization of protease production by endophytic fungus, Alternaria alternata, isolated from an Australian native plant

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1755-1762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bita Zaferanloo ◽  
Trung D. Quang ◽  
Smita Daumoo ◽  
Mahmood M. Ghorbani ◽  
Peter J. Mahon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alternaria Alternata ◽  
Endophytic Fungus ◽  
Protease Production ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Australian Native Plant

scholarly journals Diet, Genetics, and Disease: A Focus on the Middle East and North Africa Region

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akl C. Fahed ◽  
Abdul-Karim M. El-Hage-Sleiman ◽  
Theresa I. Farhat ◽  
Georges M. Nemer
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Mena Countries ◽  
Nutritional Genomics

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region suffers a drastic change from a traditional diet to an industrialized diet. This has led to an unparalleled increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases. This review discusses the role of nutritional genomics, or the dietary signature, in these dietary and disease changes in the MENA. The diet-genetics-disease relation is discussed in detail. Selected disease categories in the MENA are discussed starting with a review of their epidemiology in the different MENA countries, followed by an examination of the known genetic factors that have been reported in the disease discussed, whether inside or outside the MENA. Several diet-genetics-disease relationships in the MENA may be contributing to the increased prevalence of civilization disorders of metabolism and micronutrient deficiencies. Future research in the field of nutritional genomics in the MENA is needed to better define these relationships.

scholarly journals Crop diversity is associated with higher child diet diversity in Ethiopia, particularly among low-income households, but not in Vietnam

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Erin E Esaryk ◽  
Sarah Anne Reynolds ◽  
Lia CH Fernald ◽  
Andrew D Jones
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Crop Diversity ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Functional Richness

Abstract Objectives: To examine associations of household crop diversity with school-aged child dietary diversity in Vietnam and Ethiopia and mechanisms underlying these associations. Design: We created a child diet diversity score (DDS) using data on seven food groups consumed in the last 24 h. Generalised estimating equations were used to model associations of household-level crop diversity, measured as a count of crop species richness (CSR) and of plant crop nutritional functional richness (CNFR), with DDS. We examined effect modification by household wealth and subsistence orientation, and mediation by the farm’s market orientation. Setting: Two survey years of longitudinal data from the Young Lives cohort. Participants: Children (aged 5 years in 2006 and 8 years in 2009) from rural farming households in Ethiopia (n 1012) and Vietnam (n 1083). Results: There was a small, positive association between household CNFR and DDS in Ethiopia (CNFR–DDS, β = 0·13; (95 % CI 0·07, 0·19)), but not in Vietnam. Associations of crop diversity and child diet diversity were strongest among poor households in Ethiopia and among subsistence-oriented households in Vietnam. Agricultural earnings positively mediated the crop diversity–diet diversity association in Ethiopia. Discussion: Children from households that are poorer and those that rely more on their own agricultural production for food may benefit most from increased crop diversity.

scholarly journals A Social Norms-Based Intervention Improves Dietary Diversity among Women in Rural India: The Reduction in Anemia through Normative Innovations (RANI) Project

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2822
Author(s):  
Sameera A. Talegawkar ◽  
Yichen Jin ◽  
Erica Sedlander ◽  
Rohini Ganjoo ◽  
Satyaranjan Behera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Diet Diversity ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
And Control ◽  
Minimum Dietary Diversity

Diet diversity has an important role in the prevention and treatment of anemia. Based on formative research in the community and the theory of normative social behavior, we designed an intervention to improve diet diversity among women of reproductive age. Our study, the Reduction in Anemia through Normative Innovations (RANI) Project, investigated the effect of a social norms-based intervention on diet diversity among women of reproductive age. We randomized villages in Odisha, India, into treatment or control arms, with a minimum of one village buffer between them. We assessed exposure to the intervention by frequency of self-reported images seen from the participatory learning modules, videos watched, and number of hemoglobin tests administered. We assessed diet diversity with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) questionnaire. We used multiple logistic regression to examine the associations between intervention and diet diversity, adjusting for covariates. Compared with baseline, diet diversity score increased in both treatment and control groups. The odds of having a diverse diet was 47% higher in the treatment group. Higher level of exposure to the RANI intervention was associated with a better diet diversity score, indicating that the intervention was effective in improving diet quality.

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