INDIA

BACKGROUND

• Due to the vast geographic regions through which India spans, it is difficult to truly define the ‘staple foods’ of India

• For example, Northern India has a greater emphasis on dairy products whereas the South emphasizes the use of rice

• This being said, the foods in the following slide have been defined as staple foods by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

• It is assumed that the FAO has taken into account culinary differences with respect to geographic location. For the purposes of this project analyzing these foods gives a generalized, but more accurate representation of the average diet in India.

STATISTICS

• Life Expectancy at Birth: 69.89 years

• Total population: 1,139,964,932

• Comparison to the World: 145th

• Male: 67.46 years

• Female: 72.61 years (2009 est.)

INDIA

Cereals (60-70%)

Oils, Fats, Sugars(10-20%)

Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts(10-20%)

Other

Pie graph showing the proportions of each food group in the average Indian diet (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

STAPLE FOODS

WheatLong-grain Rice

MaizeLentils

WHEAT

• Whole wheat is used to make flat bread, which is eaten daily, especially in North India

• Low in fat, high in carbohydrates

• Source of protein, sodium, calcium, iron

RICE

• Cooked long grain rice is a regular part of South India’s diet (usually accompanied by cooked vegetables and lentil soup)

• Low in fat, high in carbohydrates

• Source of protein, calcium, iron, sodium

MAIZE

• Grown in India; used in making flatbreads

• Low in fat, high in carbohydrates

• Source of protein, iron, vitamins A and C

LENTILS

• Served with rice and flatbreads

• Low in fat, high in carbohydrates

• Source of protein, sodium, calcium, iron, Vitamins A and C

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Vegetarianism is widespread in India; this fact is represented in the earlier pie graph, where Meat, Fish, Milk, and Eggs make up less than 10% of the nation’s average diet

• Due to this, proteins found only in meat may not be sufficiently provided

• The Indian population must receive protein from other foods

• Of the four staple foods investigated, lentils have the highest proportion of protein

• Wheat and wheat-based foods (breads) appear to be the major source of carbohydrates in India

• India’s Cereal-based diet ensures its inhabitants will have a steady source of carbohydrates, a source of energy

• There is a large disparity of wealth between the rich and the poor – this undoubtedly contributes to lower life expectancy

CANADA

Background

Because there is such a wide span of cultural diversity in Canada, it is difficult to determine the main staple foods. For the purposes of this experiment we chose to use foods that were commonly found in many cultures in Canada. The foods we investigated were bread, eggs and milk. Canadian Flag composed of photos of people

from all ethnic groups: showing the multicultural mosaic evident in our society

STAPLE FOODS

MilkEggs

Bread

STATISTICS

Total Population: 33,311,389

Life Expectancy at Birth: 81.23 years

Comparison to the world: 8 th

Male: 78.69 years

Female: 83.91 years (2009 est.)

CANADA

Meat, Fish, Milk, Eggs(20-30%)Oils, Fats, Sugars

(30-40%)

Cereals (20-30%)

Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts(10-20%

Other

Pie graph showing the proportions of each food group in the average Canadian diet (Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)

EGGS

• Eggs give us brainpower, choline, a substance found in egg yolks, stimulates brain development and function.

• Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants found in egg yolks and are believed to help protect eyes against damage due to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

• A recent study compared an egg-based breakfast to a bagel-based breakfast, each containing the same number of calories. Those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 163 fewer calories at lunch, felt less hungry and ate 418 less calories over a 24-hour period

MILK

• It is practically impossible to meet body calcium requirements, without the consumption of milk and other dairy products.

• It serves as an excellent source of calcium that makes our bones and teeth strong.

• It provides the body with high quality proteins that contain the essential amino acids, which the body is incapable of producing by itself.

• One glass of milk contributes about 44% to our daily-recommended vitamins intake

BREAD

• Bread is a good source of protein. Breads also contain vitamins, iron and calcium. Wheat breads are good for their fiber content, which helps keep the bodies digestion system regulated

• One slice of regular white bread is about 80 calories

• Whole wheat breads are a good source of Iron and contain about 60 calories per slice

ANALYSISGeneral Trend: Nations with relatively high proportions (>20%) of ‘Oils, Fats, and Sugars’ in their diet have higher life expectancies

With regards to the collected data on the distribution of food groups within a given country, it is apparent that it is not sufficient to display a distinct correlation between food type distribution and life expectancy. This is evident in the case of Nigeria, who appears to have a fairly equal distribution of food groups, as shown in the graph earlier. It would seem that the Nigerian population would be getting a balanced diet. Protein would predominantly come from meat, Carbohydrates from Cereals, essential fats, sugars and oils from fats, sugars, and oils and other nutrients from Fruits, Vegetables and nuts. When compared to the diet of India, Nigeria’s diet appears to be more balanced in terms of food groups. This is where the limitations of this investigation come in. Solely looking at nutritional data may give the idea that the typical Nigerian diet is nutritionally superior to India’s. This is with the assumption that cereals provide mainly carbohydrates, “Meat, Milk, Eggs” provides mainly protein. Our research has proven this false. Nigeria is a nation struck with widespread famine and poverty, to an even greater extent than in India.

Another finding worth noting is the large difference between the Canadian diet and the Japanese diet. Referring to the pie graphs shown earlier, it is evident that Canadians have a much higher intake of Oils, Fats and Sugars.

Japan and Canada’s life expectancies are fairly close, yet how are their diets so different?

One explanation may be the differences in culture. Japan is mainly a ‘one-culture’ society, whereas Canada is arguably the most multicultural nation in the world.

Individual diets in Japan will likely be similar, whereas in Canada this will not be the case. The graph depicting the average diet in Canada takes into account different diets from all cultures.

MALNUTRITION

Definition:

“Impairment of physical and/or mental health resulting from a failure to fulfill nutrient requirements. Malnutrition may result from consuming too little food, a shortage of key nutrients, or impaired absorption or metabolism due to disease.” ¹

• A major problem worldwide, especially prevalent in many African Countries

• Accountable for roughly half of child deaths worldwide

How does this project help?

• Sheds light onto the average diet in Nigeria, a country with widespread famine and poverty

• Nigeria’s diet can be compared with those of other nations, which can help answer the guiding question: How can less-developed countries ensure their inhabitants are receiving nutrients essential to their survival? In other words, how can their diets be improved?

¹WWW.USAID.GOV/OUR_WORK/HUMANITARIAN_ASSISTANCE/FFP/CRG/ANNEX-1.HTM

MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER

Taking Japan as an example – Japan’s staple foods give its inhabitants greater nutritional balance when compared to Nigeria’s. Would it be in Nigeria’s best interest to attempt to emulate the Japanese diet? Yes.

But perhaps the most important question to ask is whether or not this is a feasible solution. Environmental factors severely limit this option. Soil quality in Nigeria is a major issue. Financial resources would also be an issue. Even without taking into account cultural differences, emulating another nation’s diet already seems to be an unrealistic option.

It is clear that Nigeria is lacking essential nutrients in their average diets. In Nigeria, 46% of children under the age of five have stunted growth due to malnutrition. This appears to conflict with our collected data, showing a large proportion of meat in their diets (protein). What has not been taken into account is the disparity of wealth between the rich and the poor in Nigeria, along with government corruption. Sorghum, one of Nigeria’s staple foods, is much more readily available to the poorer population. Meat products are generally more expensive and are consequently consumed less by the poorer population. This would explain Nigeria’s nation-wide protein deficiency. Nigeria would benefit from including a larger amount of protein in their diets, to promote muscle development. This appears to have been considered in the production of “Plumpy’nut”, a therapeutic food developed to combat malnutrition in famine-struck countries. The following slide gives a brief description of this product.

PLUMPY’NUT

• Peanut-based paste developed by French Pediatric Nutritionist André Briend as a therapeutic food to combat malnutrition

• Essentially peanut butter, powdered milk, and powdered sugar enriched with minerals and vitamins

• Does not require refrigeration or freezing, two year shelf life

• Each serving equivalent to a glass of milk and multivitamin

• Distributed by many organizations to countries in Africa

• Considered to have saved hundreds of thousands of lives (see video)

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

• Future developments

• Less developed countries throughout the world are often plagued with protein deficiencies. As long as products such as Plumpy’nut continue to be distributed to countries in need, the international issue of malnutrition will slowly begin to decline

• This investigation has indicated the nutrients and vitamins that are available in the average diets of 4 nations

• Through similar, more detailed investigations, nutritionists and scientists can create more nutritional supplements similar to Plumpy ’nut

• The international issue of malnutrition can then be severely minimized, provided that each nation receives considerable aid from developed countries (either through distributing supplements or providing financial aid)

• The Scientific Method can be used to conduct research and analyze the diets of nations facing malnutrition

FINAL THOUGHTS• This investigation has allowed our group to gain some insight into a worldwide

issue. Malnutrition is responsible for countless deaths. If greater emphasis was put into the investigation of native diets of developing countries, society would be one step closer to a world free of malnutrition.

• Our initial goal was simply to research the nutritional composition of the diets of various countries. Once research began, the real importance of this project began to present itself. “Why does Nigeria have such a low life expectancy?” , we asked ourselves.

• The focus of the project then shifted to providing a feasible solution to malnutrition in developing countries such as Nigeria. However, simple analysis of staple diets is clearly not enough to solve such a complex issue – we were aware of this. This project merely attempted to emulate the sort of research that nutritionists and scientists would conduct in combatting a similar issue. Despite this, each member of our group gained considerable knowledge regarding nutrition and the global issue of malnutrition. Our group members are now more aware of a ‘real-world’ problem that has been persistently plaguing many nations for a considerable amount of time. If malnutrition is to disappear in this world, Science must be involved.