TY - JOUR
T1 - Mineral content of traditional leafy vegetables from western Kenya
AU - Orech, F. O.
AU - Christensen, Dirk L.
AU - Larsen, Torben
AU - Friis, H.
AU - Aagaard-Hansen, J.
AU - Estambale, B. A.
PY - 2007/12/1
Y1 - 2007/12/1
N2 - Socio-economic changes that have taken place in Africa have influenced people's eating habits in both rural and urban set-ups. Most people prefer introduced foods to traditional foods, including plant foods whose consumption is widely regarded as a primitive culture manifesting poor lifestyles. However, recent studies on traditional plant foods have shown that some are highly nutritious; containing high levels of both vitamins and minerals. They also have potential as a remedy to counter food insecurity since most are well adapted to the local environment, enabling them to resist pests, drought and diseases. This paper describes the mineral (calcium, iron and zinc) contents in some 54 traditional vegetable species collected from Nyang'oma area of Bondo district, western Kenya. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the mineral content. We found that most traditional leafy vegetables, domesticated and wild, generally contain higher levels of calcium, iron and zinc compared with the introduced varieties such as spinach (Spanacia oleracea), kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). The results of this study could contribute towards identification, propagation and subsequent domestication and cultivation promotion of nutrient-rich and safe species within the farming systems of the local communities in Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa or elsewhere.
AB - Socio-economic changes that have taken place in Africa have influenced people's eating habits in both rural and urban set-ups. Most people prefer introduced foods to traditional foods, including plant foods whose consumption is widely regarded as a primitive culture manifesting poor lifestyles. However, recent studies on traditional plant foods have shown that some are highly nutritious; containing high levels of both vitamins and minerals. They also have potential as a remedy to counter food insecurity since most are well adapted to the local environment, enabling them to resist pests, drought and diseases. This paper describes the mineral (calcium, iron and zinc) contents in some 54 traditional vegetable species collected from Nyang'oma area of Bondo district, western Kenya. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the mineral content. We found that most traditional leafy vegetables, domesticated and wild, generally contain higher levels of calcium, iron and zinc compared with the introduced varieties such as spinach (Spanacia oleracea), kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). The results of this study could contribute towards identification, propagation and subsequent domestication and cultivation promotion of nutrient-rich and safe species within the farming systems of the local communities in Kenya, sub-Saharan Africa or elsewhere.
KW - Calcium
KW - Iron
KW - Kenya
KW - Traditional leafy vegetables
KW - Zinc
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=36348968850&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09637480701350288
DO - 10.1080/09637480701350288
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 17852510
AN - SCOPUS:36348968850
SN - 0963-7486
VL - 58
SP - 595
EP - 602
JO - International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
JF - International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition
IS - 8
ER -