By Michael Gwarisa
A University of Zimbabwe food scientist has warned that many exotic vegetables, such as lettuce and rape, contain significantly fewer micronutrients essential for growth and combating hidden hunger.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hidden hunger refers to malnutrition characterized by micronutrient deficiencies where individuals consume enough calories but lack essential vitamins and minerals necessary for growth and development.
Speaking at a National AIDS Council (NAC) Editors and Station Managers Workshop recently, Dr. Batsi Chipurura from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences at the University of Zimbabwe said:
There are about three minerals that are important for our immune system. These include Vitamin A, Iron, and Zinc. These are minerals and vitamins of public health significance in Zimbabwe. An estimated 250 pre-school children are Vitamin A deficient,” said Dr. Chipurura.
A study conducted by the UZ Food Science department revealed that wild vegetables in Zimbabwe, such as Black Jack (Bidens pilosa), Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus), and Cleome (Cleome gynandra), have significantly higher micronutrient levels compared to exotic vegetables like lettuce and rape.
“Black Jack, for example, contains 17.5 mg of iron per 100g, which is more than double the amount found in rape (8 mg) and nearly seven times higher than in lettuce (2.5 mg),” he said.
Similarly, Black Jack boasts an impressive 22 mg of zinc, while rape and lettuce contain only 0.6 mg and 9 mg, respectively. Copper levels follow the same trend, with Black Jack containing 10.6 mg, Cleome 10 mg, and Amaranth 7.65 mg, all of which surpass the amounts found in lettuce (5 mg) and rape (1.2 mg). Vitamin C content is also significantly higher in wild vegetables, with Black Jack leading at 70 mg, followed by Amaranth at 64 mg—both of which far exceed the levels found in lettuce (10 mg) and rape (12 mg).
“Many rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa depend on wild fruits for food and nutrition security, medicine, and income, especially during periods of drought and famine. These fruits are also used to treat fever, dysentery, diarrhea, and malaria. The medicinal uses of baobab pulp, for example, are due to its phytochemicals and micronutrients,” added Dr. Chipurura.
The study by UZ also found that indigenous fruits such as baobab (Adansonia digitata), marula (Sclerocarya birrea), and wild loquat (Uapaca kirkiana) contain significantly higher levels of essential micronutrients compared to exotic fruits like bananas and peaches.
“For instance, baobab has an exceptionally high vitamin C content (555.0±20.0 mg), vastly surpassing that of bananas (9.0±0.5 mg) and peaches (12.0±0.9 mg). Similarly, baobab, marula, and wild loquat have higher iron and zinc levels, which are crucial for immune function and preventing deficiencies.”
In contrast, bananas have much lower concentrations of iron (0.20±0.03 mg) and zinc (0.10±0.01 mg), showing their limited contribution to addressing micronutrient deficiencies. While bananas are widely consumed, the data underscores the need to promote indigenous fruits, which provide superior nutritional benefits and could play a crucial role in improving dietary diversity and combating malnutrition.
As Zimbabwe grapples with food and nutrition insecurity, experts emphasize that leveraging the nutritional benefits of wild vegetables and indigenous fruits could be a sustainable solution to tackling hidden hunger. Encouraging their cultivation and consumption could enhance public health and resilience against malnutrition, particularly among vulnerable populations.
