A new study, titled “Inadequate zinc intake in India: past, present, future,” released by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, aimed to assess the historical prevalence of inadequate zinc intake and estimate the future prevalence attributable to rising levels of carbon dioxide. The study used seven household food consumption surveys between 1983-2012, to calculate the total dietary zinc, phytate and absorbable zinc intakes. These were also used to assess the prevalence of the historical inadequacy in the zinc intake. This was followed by a modeling of the added nutritional effect of elevated CO2on zinc intake.
In the past few decades, India has made significant strides in the reduction of nutritional deficiencies and improvement across several dietary indicators, but, in the case of micronutrients like zinc, the situation related to micronutrient deficiency has been worsening. Higher levels of carbon dioxide only add to this burden. Projected to rise to 550 ppm in the coming decades, CO2levels could reduce the zinc content in many staple crops.
According to the study, the prevalence of inadequate absorbable zinc intake has risen from 17.1% in 1983 to 24.6% in 2011-2012, with an additional 82 million people consuming inadequate quantities of zinc, in comparison to 1983. This increase in adequacy can be attributed to a relatively constant zinc intake in a changing demographic, which has become increasingly insufficient to meet the growing zinc requirements of an ageing population.
If carbon dioxide levels reach 550pm by 2050, the prevalence of inadequate zinc intake will potentially accelerate by another 3.9 percentage points, corresponding to an addition of 65 million people with inadequate zinc intake. This is because carbon dioxide impacts the zinc content in crops, thereby affecting human consumption.
The study posits that incidences of zinc deficiency have been rising in India for decades now, causing millions of people to become newly zinc-deficient. The study attributes this to a change in dietary preferences from traditional course cereals like jowar to white rice. This trend is especially concentrated in the southern and north-eastern regions of the country (Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya and Manipur), since rice, poor in zinc, constitutes the staple diet in those regions.
According to the study, “rice is poor in [the presence of] zinc, causing higher rates of zinc inadequacy in diets that rely heavily upon it. Overall urban populations, and wealthier urban groups in particular, showed higher rates of inadequate intake as well, due to a higher proportion of nutrient-poor fats and sugars in the diet.”
Inadequate zinc intake causes grave health challenges by impacting the functioning of the whole body and the immune systems. Zinc deficiency could lead to low insulin, high blood pressure, irritability, depression, slurred speech, generalized hair loss and dry skin. In young children, it can cause a stunted rate of growth, loss in appetite as well as increased vulnerability to diseases like diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia.
Diagnostic tests of the levels of zinc in blood or urine might not give definitive results, due to the presence of low levels of zinc in the body cells.
For diagnosis of zinc deficiency, the comprehensive medical history of the person must be taken into consideration. Insufficient calorie intake or dietary diversity may possibly be an underlying cause of zinc deficiency. Zinc supplements may be recommended as a remedial measure. Foods that contain zinc include baked beans, beef, yoghurt, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, milk and fortified breakfast cereals.
According to the study, national grain fortification programmes, bio-fortified crops, overall increase in dietary diversity as well as reduced carbon emissions to hamper this increasing trend of zinc deficiency. Another recommendation made by the study includes the initiation of measures by the government to guide people to make the right food choices, as a long-term solution to the ongoing and persistent problem of inadequate zinc intake.
India Outbound
April 17, 2019
source https://indiaoutbound.org/inadequate-zinc-intake-in-india/
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