A Food-Based Approach to Improving Zinc Nutrition Through Increasing the Zinc Content of Rice in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Improvements in micronutrient content or bioavailability of staples can impact diet. We aimed to assess variability of rice zinc at field, household, and village levels, and its association with dietary zinc and nutritional status of children. Rice samples were collected from farmers and 156 households in 4 villages in Bangladesh. Hair samples were used to assess zinc nutritional status. Soil pH, soil zinc, and rice variety were associated with rice zinc content. In 2 villages milling losses of zinc were very different: 24±10% and 39±11% (p < 0.001). Rice supplied 66±16% of zinc in the diet of 2–10 yr old children. Dietary zinc density was 1.00±0.24 and 1.35±0.24 mg/1000kJ (p < 0.001) respectively in the village with the lowest compared to the highest rice zinc. Hair zinc was positively associated with rice zinc (r = 0.24 p = 0.001) suggesting improvements to the nutrient content of rice could result in nutritional benefit. Optimizing rice zinc through choice of varieties, soil management, and processing could improve zinc nutrition in Bangladesh.

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