Native Nutrition

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In Guatemala, micronutrient deficiencies are mainly linked to a low intake of vitamin A (which leads to increased childhood and maternal mortality), iron (which causes anemia), and calcium (which can lead to defective bone growth). Although the use of micronutrient supplementation to address these deficiencies has received considerable attention, studies show that dietary diversification and modification can also provide a sustainable solution, with the added advantage of being culturally acceptable, economically feasible and capable of impacting entire families across generations. In this context, the World Health Organization has proposed a series of interventions for scaling up nutrition programs, including the need to ¿maximize the utilization of locally produced foods¿. Indigenous to Latin America, amaranth and chia are both highly versatile crops - they grow easily and prolifically in the highlands of Guatemala and are well known as drought crops that thrive in hot and dry weather. They were part of the staple Central American diet for thousands of years and are densely nutritious. One hundred grams of the vegetable material of amaranth can contribute 45% of daily vitamin A requirement. The protein content of amaranth seeds is unusually high (13.5%), and it has been touted as an important crop for developing countries due to its significantly high fiber and iron content. Chia seeds also close an important gap in micronutrient deficiencies, providing much needed iodine, omega 3, and calcium. Increasing the availability and consumption of these micronutrient-rich foods provides the basis for the Nutrición Nativa project.