ISHS Acta Horticulturae 744: I International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables
BETTER HEALTH THROUGH HORTICULTURE - AVRDC'S APPROACH TO IMPROVED NUTRITION OF THE POOR |
| Authors: | R. Yu Yang, P.M. Hanson, T.A. Lumpkin |
| Keywords: | indigenous vegetables, germplasm, phytochemicals, antioxidant, breeding, bioavailability, flavonoids |
| Abstract:
Iron and vitamin A deficiencies, and infectious diseases continue to devastate people of the developing world; noncommunicable diseases attributable to obesity are increasingly common in developed and developing countries. Diets rich in vegetables and fruits providing micronutrients and health-promoting phytochemicals could alleviate both under-nutrition and obesity. Human nutrition from vegetables can be improved by higher per capita vegetable consumption, intake of vegetables high in nutrients/phytochemicals, increasing the bioavailability of nutrients/phytochemicals and better understanding their bioactivity. AVRDC− the World Vegetable Center is an international, non-profit organization with the mandate to reduce malnutrition and poverty among the poor through vegetable research and development. AVRDC activities aim to better human nutrition in four ways: (1) increased vegetable productivity and availability through improved varieties with disease resistance and tolerance to environmental stresses, and crop management practices to enable year-round and safe vegetable production; (2) enrichment of the nutrient/phytochemical content of vegetables through plant breeding and through the collection and promotion of nutrient-rich but under-utilized vegetables such as indigenous vegetables; (3) enhancing nutrient bioavailability through optimum food preparation and recipe design, and studies of a whole food approach to investigate the bioavailability of phenolics; (4) assessing the benefits from the consumption of vegetables high in nutrients/bioactive compounds on health and overall economic development. | |
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