b-Carotene-rich orange sweet potato (OSP) has been shown to improve vitamin A status of infants and young children in controlled efficacy trials and in a small-scale effectiveness study with intensive exposure to project inputs. However, the potential of this important food crop to reduce the risk of vitamin A deficiency in deficient populations will depend on the ability to distribute OSP vines and promote its household production and consumption on a large scale. In rural Mozambique, we conducted a randomised, controlled effectiveness study of a large-scale intervention to promote household-level OSP production and consumption using integrated agricultural, demand creation/ behaviour change and marketing components. The following two intervention models were compared: a low-intensity (1 year) and a highintensity (nearly 3 years) training model. The primary nutrition outcomes were OSP and vitamin A intakes by children 6 -35 months and 3 -5·5 years of age, and women. The intervention resulted in significant net increases in OSP intakes (model 1: 46, 48 and 97 g/d) and vitamin A intakes (model 1: 263, 254 and 492 mg retinol activity equivalents/d) among the younger children, older children and women, respectively. OSP accounted for 47 -60 % of all sweet potato consumed and, among reference children, provided 80 % of total vitamin A intakes. A similar magnitude of impact was observed for both models, suggesting that group-level trainings in nutrition and agriculture could be limited to the first project year without compromising impact. Introduction of OSP to rural, sweet potato-producing communities in Mozambique is an effective way to improve vitamin A intakes.
Nutrient content and potential contribution of one average portion towards nutritional requirements (Recommended Dietary Allowance; RDA) of eight African leafy vegetables (ALVs) was determined. Compared to dark-green leafy vegetables (DGLVs) as sub-group, calcium and magnesium content were similar or considerably higher, vitamin C content was considerably lower, while pigweed had higher potassium content and spider flower similar folate content. All ALVs, except Chinese cabbage, had higher iron content. Black nightshade, pigweed, cowpea and spider flower leaves had higher β-carotene content than DGLVs. For children, pigweed and cowpea leaves emerged as good sources of vitamin A (>75% RDA), followed by spider flower, black nightshade, tsamma melon, Jew's mallow and pumpkin leaves (50 -75% RDA). For iron, pumpkin leaves provided 50 -75% RDA. Black nightshade, tsamma melon, pigweed and cowpea leaves contributed 25 -50% RDA, with Jew's mallow, spider flower and Chinese cabbage providing < 25% RDA. The ALVs were not a good source of zinc. Most ALVs were nutritionally similar to DGLVs. For most nutrients Chinese cabbage had considerably lower values than the other ALVs. Most of the ALVs can considerably contribute to requirements of vitamin A and, to a lesser extent, iron, both critical nutrients for developing countries.
In this article the term 'African leafy vegetables' was adopted to refer to the collective of plant species which are used as leafy vegetables and which are referred to as morogo or imifino by African people in South Africa. Function is central in this indigenous concept, which is subject to spatial and temporal variability in terms of plant species that are included as a result of diversity in ecology, culinary repertoire and change over time. As a result, the concept embraces indigenous, indigenised and recently introduced leafy vegetable species but this article is concerned mainly with the indigenous and indigenised species. In South Africa, the collection of these two types of leafy vegetables from the wild, or from cultivated fields where some of them grow as weeds, has a long history that has been intimately linked to women and their traditional livelihood tasks. Among poor people in remote rural areas the use of these types of leafy vegetables is still common but nationwide there is evidence of decline, particularly in urban areas. Cultivation of indigenous or indigenised leafy vegetables is restricted to a narrow group of primarily indigenised species in South Africa. Seven groups of indigenous or indigenised African leafy vegetables that are important in South Africa were given special attention and their local nomenclature, ecology, use and cultivation are discussed.
In this article the term 'African leafy vegetables' was adopted to refer to the collective of plant species which are used as leafy vegetables and which are referred to as morogo or imifino by African people in South Africa. Function is central in this indigenous concept, which is subject to spatial and temporal variability in terms of plant species that are included as a result of diversity in ecology, culinary repertoire and change over time. As a result, the concept embraces indigenous, indigenised and recently introduced leafy vegetable species but this article is concerned mainly with the indigenous and indigenised species. In South Africa, the collection of these two types of leafy vegetables from the wild, or from cultivated fields where some of them grow as weeds, has a long history that has been intimately linked to women and their traditional livelihood tasks. Among poor people in remote rural areas the use of these types of leafy vegetables is still common but nationwide there is evidence of decline, particularly in urban areas. Cultivation of indigenous or indigenised leafy vegetables is restricted to a narrow group of primarily indigenised species in South Africa. Seven groups of indigenous or indigenised African leafy vegetables that are important in South Africa were given special attention and their local nomenclature, ecology, use and cultivation are discussed.
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