Micronutrients & recovery
Small fish consumption improves the bioavailability of Iron and Zinc in plant-based diets by providing heme-iron and offsetting phytate inhibitors found in staple crops.
If your diet relies heavily on grains like rice or maize, which contain phytates that block mineral absorption, include small fish in your meals. The heme-iron and zinc in fish are more easily absorbed and can help overcome the absorption barriers posed by plant-based staples.
Fish contain large amounts of haem Fe... which is characterized by high bioavailability as opposed to non-haem Fe... Cereals and legumes contain inhibitors of Zn absorption, such as phytate... Small fish in a plant-based diet is therefore expected to increase Zn intake considerably and to compensate for the low bioavailability induced by the phytate of the staple foods.
Why this rating
Based on nutritional composition analysis and biochemical properties described in the review.
Source
The potential role of small fish species in improving micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries: building evidence
Nozomi Kawarazuka et al. · Public Health Nutrition · 2011
DOI 10.1017/s1368980011000814
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- Consumption of small indigenous fish species provides high bioavailability of Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc, and Calcium, serving as a cost-effective strategy to mitigate micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries.Moderate
- Small fish serve as an effective complementary food for undernourished children, showing comparable or superior growth outcomes to imported milk-based supplements in some contexts.Moderate
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