Bukola
Adebayo, Punch, Lagos, Friday 11 December 2015, writes:
A consultant gastroenterologist with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,
Idi-Araba, Dr Olufunke Adeniyi, has said that south-eastern [“south east”, “south south”, “delta”, “mangrove”, “oillands”, “toomuchbooklands”, “liketoomuchmoneypeople” and the like are part of the Nigerian occupation’s geopolitical and sociological compendium
of snippets
referencing Biafra*****] soups are the most
nutritious in Nigeria.
According to
Adeniyi, South Eastern soups are usually prepared with rich vegetables and
often cooked with little or no oil making them more nutritious and healthy
compared to other traditional soups known to other parts of the country.
She said this
at a one-day fortification workshop organised by Nestle Nigeria in Lagos. Adeniyi said,
“South-Eastern soups are very rich in micro and macro nutrients. Their soups
contain a lot of leafy vegetables and so most of their children are not really
micronutrient deficient.
“However, this
is the challenge to those in other regions. For instance, parents in the South
West need to improve the quality of food their children eat as a way of
correcting nutrient deficiency.
“At least 25
per cent of Nigerian children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, the commonest
cause of blindness in children under five years. Also, Nigeria falls into the
zone that has severe iron deficiency anaemia.
“We thought
iodine deficiency was not an issue, unfortunately, we are seeing some degrees
of iodine deficiency. Recent figures show that 20 million babies are born per
year with mental impairment due to iodine deficiency despite all the
fortification that is still going on.”
The Chief
Executive Officer, Nestlé Nigeria, Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon, who was represented by
the Manager Corporate Communications, Dr. Samuel Adenekan, assured Nigerians
that the company would not compromise its fortification policy which, he said
was essential to the growth and development of children.
Adenekan said:
“We have been tackling dietary deficiencies in Nigeria with our fortified food
products. We are also committed to various initiatives to address the issue of
malnutrition in the country especially among children and their mothers.”
*****HE-E
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe
No comments:
Post a Comment