Could local foods achieve recommended calcium intakes for nutritionally vulnerable populations in Uganda, Guatemala, and Bangladesh?

• Published in: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2023-07, Vol.1525 (1), p.173-183
• Main Authors: Knight, Frances, Rana, Ziaul H., Cormick, Gabriela, Belizan, José, Gomes, Filomena, Bourassa, Megan W., Dickin, Katherine L., Weaver, Connie M., Ferguson, Elaine L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adequacy; Adolescent; Animals; Bangladesh; Calcium; Calcium, Dietary; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Diet; diet modeling; dietary adequacy; Dietary intake; Female; Food; Food intake; Food sources; food‐based recommendations; Geographical locations; Girls; Guatemala; Humans; Infant; Linear programming; optifood; Seeds; Uganda; Vulnerable Populations; Women
• ISSN: 0077-8923; 1749-6632
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15008

Globally, dietary intake of calcium is often insufficient, and it is unclear if adequacy could be achieved by promoting calcium‐rich local foods. This study used linear programming and household consumption data from Uganda, Bangladesh, and Guatemala to assess whether local foods could meet calcium population reference intakes (Ca PRIs). The most promising food‐based approaches to promote dietary calcium adequacy were identified for 12‐ to 23‐month‐old breastfed children, 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, 10‐ to 14‐year‐old girls, and nonpregnant and nonbreastfeeding (NPNB) women of reproductive age living in two regions of each country. Calcium‐optimized diets achieved 75–253% of the Ca PRI, depending on the population, and were