Study examines whether biofortification is of value in tackling malnutrition
That India has a massive malnutrition burden is well known – National Family Health Survey 4 shows more than 38% kids are stunted.
A study in the Journal of Nutrition now provides evidence that biofortified high-iron pearl millet can stem the deleterious ripple effect of iron deficiency by significantly improving nutrition and cognitive performance.
Iron deficiency remains the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency globally, but few studies have examined how iron status relates to cognition in adolescents. Iron biofortification of staple food crops is being scaled up, yet it is unknown whether consuming biofortified crops can benefit cognition.
Countries such as India are at the heart of this challenge, as nearly half of all Indian women and children under five are anemic. Iron deficiency is a major—and preventable—cause.
When Indian adolescents consumed biofortified pearl millet twice daily as bhakri (a local flatbread) or shev (a savory snack) for six months, researchers found the students had significantly improved learning and mental abilities. These were faculties related to perception, attention, and memory.
“If we can improve adolescents’ performance in school by improving their iron status we may also have longer term impacts in terms of their ability to secure a good job, or be admitted to a college program,” says Dr. Samuel Scott, Associate Research Fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, lead author of the publication.
The study in Maharashtra among 140 economically-disadvantaged 12-16 year olds, compared the effects of eating biofortified iron pearl millet to conventional pearl millet
The randomized, controlled efficacy study in Maharashtra, India, among 140 economically-disadvantaged 12-16 year olds, compared the effects of eating biofortified iron pearl millet to conventional pearl millet. Computer-based tasks were administered before and after six months of consuming the pearl millet to measure cognitive skills.
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to iron deficiency because of periods of rapid growth, the onset of female menstruation, and poor dietary habits. Addressing adolescent iron deficiency is crucial to ending the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition. More than half of females in India marry by 18 years old, and soon bear children.
The study concluded: “Consuming iron-biofortified pearl millet improves iron status and some measures of cognitive performance in Indian adolescents.”
