MICRONUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES IN AFRICAN ADULTS

Currently, African countries are facing the “triple burden” of malnutrition. This is an energy deficiency from consuming too little food, coupled with nutrient deficiencies from food without essential micronutrients, alongside excessive overall energy intake.

Ultimately, this combination results in overweight and obese Africans, suffering from malnourishment.

In recent decades, there has been remarkable improvements in nutrition across low- and middle-income countries, including many African countries.

However, through economic growth and urbanisation, undernutrition coexists with the consumption of Westernised diets, often highly processed and rich in fat, sugar and salt and poor in fibre and micronutrients.

Micronutrient deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa

As literature pertaining to meat, fruit, and vegetable consumption in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has previously been limited, a recent study helped identify daily consumption patterns of individuals in SSA.

This study concluded that SSA populations were likely deficient in high-quality protein and micronutrients, due to their low intake of plant-based foods. Even though vegetable intake has increased significantly, from ≈10 g to ≈110 g in the last 3 decades, vegetable consumption was found to be higher in rural areas than in urban residents.

Overall, an imbalance in diverse food consumption across African populations was observed. The daily average per capita meat consumption was 98 g (which is above the WHO’s 70 g recommendation) while fruit and vegetable intake (268 g) remain below the recommended 400 g.

Widespread micronutrient deficiencies in African adults

SSA has the highest prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in the world, and its population also suffers from iodine, vitamin B12 and zinc deficiencies.

Iodine deficiency is easily preventable through the fortification of food, including salt. Yet, in 2011, over 321 million people in Africa had an insufficient iodine intake.

Food and Agriculture Organization food balance sheets have shown that most of the world’s population consumes less than 20% of their energy as animal-sourced foods, rich in B12. Yet, many African countries only consume less than 10% of animal-sourced foods, losing daily doses of B12.

Zinc deficiencies can create many negative health consequences affecting the central nervous, gastrointestinal, immune, epidermal, reproductive, and skeletal systems.

Zinc deficiency can be rampant in men and women, as opposed to anaemia, which is much more commonly found in women. In SSA, the prevalence of zinc deficiency varies between 15 – 50 %, yet the highest occurrence recorded was the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2005, at 54 %.

Pregnant women are most at risk of micronutrient deficiencies

Any individual can experience micronutrient deficiency, yet, pregnant women are at greatest risk of developing deficiencies. This is due to the higher physiological requirements and increased demand for specific vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.

Globally, roughly 40% of pregnant women are anaemic, yet this percentage increases to 60% in some countries in SSA. Anaemia develops due to a lack of iron or vitamin B12, although iron deficiency is the most common type.

The percentage of pregnant women with Vitamin-A deficiency (VAD) sits at around 20 – 25 % in North Africa, and 15 – 20 % in SSA. VAD can, in some cases, result in visual impairment or blindness. In moderate cases of VAD, individuals experience night blindness, but in severe cases this can become permanent.

The prevalence for night blindness recorded in most countries is less than 5 %, with some countries, such as Niger, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Somalia, Senegal and Burkina Faso, recording higher rates of 5 – 22%. VAD also exacerbates serious disease and illness, leading to increased rates of mortality.

Micronutrient deficiencies in African soils

In a synthesis study, the status of micronutrients in SSA arable soils was assessed, and evidence of widespread and varying micronutrient deficiencies were found. Simultaneous deficiencies of multiple micronutrients (co-occurrence) were also found to be dominant.

Zinc was predominately deficient in SSA arable soils, alongside other common deficiencies such as boron, iron, molybdenum and copper.

Food consumption trends in Africa, notably within resource-restricted, small-holder farmers, are dominated by staple cereals such as maize and rice. Yet, micronutrient deficiencies in humans is regularly identified in areas where diet-dominating cereals are grown in micronutrient-deficient soils.

Preventing micronutrient deficiencies

African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) are generally not considered as cash crops, resulting in a lack of development for production and limited household consumption.

Biofortified crops and AIVs could be hugely beneficial in addressing African micronutrient deficiencies, as these are more affordable and convenient for populations who may find it difficult to meet nutrient needs.

Recognising the importance of micronutrient-rich foods, Nestlé works towards unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for all, across generations.

Nestlé’s goal is to deliver a diversified diet to meet all nutrients in healthy amounts. Nestlé is implementing this view through their Nutrition, Health and Wellness commitments for 2020.

Nestlé also focuses on tackling undernutrition, in all forms, by using a two-pronged approach:

•  fortifying foods which are commonly eaten by vulnerable populations (through direct additions of micronutrients to recipes) and,
•  making use of biofortified crops in recipe ingredients.

Conclusion

Micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent across the globe, with each country facing different combinations of missing micronutrients. Yet, African populations are found amidst some of the worst affected by this issue.

Fortified processed foods hold great opportunities for nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions across communities that find it challenging to meet daily nutritional requirements.