Iron Content of Major Cereal Grains Grown in Sindh, Pakistan: A Nutritional Baseline for Addressing Iron Deficiency Anemia in a High-Burden Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v4i4.3061Keywords:
Iron Content, Cereal Grains, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Nutritional Baseline.Abstract
Iron content in cereal grains may be best way to overcome iron deficiency anemia (IDA). In this regard Iron content in six different cereal grains grown in Sindh were determined by using spectrophotometric method. One hundred 180 samples collected from eight districts representing Sindh's key agro-ecological zones. The iron content in Peral millet was found to be highest 42.18 ± 4.67 mg/kg followed by barley (38.56 ± 5.12 mg/kg), sorghum (36.91 ± 4.89 mg/kg), wheat (34.82 ± 4.23 mg/kg), maize (22.37 ± 3.45 mg/kg). The lowest iron content was found in rice 12.45 ± 2.87 mg/kg. Comparatively higher content of Iron was found in samples collected from Upper Sindh (p < 0.001). This survey provides a baseline information to guide food fortification, dietary diversification, and biofortification strategies to combat IDA in Sindh, Pakistan.
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