Abstract
There is a scarcity of information on mineral and phytate content in plant‐based foods in Bolivia. This study aimed to analyze iron, zinc, calcium, and phytate content and estimate the mineral bioavailability of foods consumed in Chapare, Bolivia. Minerals and phytate were analyzed, and bioavailability was estimated in 17 food samples. Leafy vegetables and green legumes had the highest mineral content, followed by pseudocereals. Estimated mineral bioavailability was low for cereals, dry legumes, pseudocereals, and flaxseeds foods mainly due to phytate content. But estimated zinc bioavailability for black cornmeal, yellow corn, and dry peas was moderate. Strong correlations (p < 0.01) were found between the three minerals, while phytate correlated negatively to iron, zinc, and calcium. To get an overview of the estimated mineral bioavailability of plant‐based diets, we have included foods, from the same area, analyzed in a previous study where the evaluated diet covers 80% of RNI for iron and zinc, but <40% of calcium. In conclusion, leafy vegetables and green legumes had the highest contents of minerals and the lowest phytate content of the foods analyzed in the study. The usage of processing strategies and dietary diversification to reduce phytate content would significantly improve estimated mineral bioavailability in plant‐based diets.
Highlights
| MATERIAL AND METHODSThe food selection for the study included 17 food samples (Table 1); 10 food samples were selected from the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) conducted in 2014 by Lazarte, Carlsson, et al (2015)
Leafy vegetables are significant in that among the food groups tested, they have the highest content of iron, zinc, and calcium and low phytate content
The molar ratios of iron (Phy:Fe 5.33–33.5), zinc (Phy:Zn 17.4–46.2), and calcium (Phy:Ca 0.49–3.94) for dry legumes were above the critical values, which means that the estimated bioavailability of these minerals is low and is mainly affected by the phytate content
Summary
The food selection for the study included 17 food samples (Table 1); 10 food samples were selected from the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) conducted in 2014 by Lazarte, Carlsson, et al (2015). The FFQ was carried out among 65 participants in the villages of Eterazama and Villa Tunari located in the tropical area of Chapare, approximately 160 km northeast of Cochabamba, Bolivia. Twelve out of the 17 food samples were purchased in markets in five villages (Chimore, Eterazama, Ivirgarzama, Shinaota, and Villa Tunari) located in Chapare in March 2014. Three food samples (quinoa, amaranth, and canihua) were purchased in markets in Cochabamba city. Among the 17 foods included, only cassava and new cocoyam leaves are cultivated in the tropical rainforest of Chapare. Quinoa and canihua are cultivated in the highlands with an average
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