Research
Micronutrients & recovery
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.
For undernourished children, local small fish can be processed into complementary foods (like porridge) that may support better weight gain and lower mortality than expensive imported milk-based supplements, making them a viable local alternative.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
In Uganda... local dried fish mukene as an ingredient of low-cost supplement porridge... shows better outcomes in weight growth and mortality compared with the diets of imported skimmed milk that are usually used for undernourished children in hospitals.
Why this rating
Based on specific intervention studies cited in the review, though the review notes overall lack of rigorous impact studies.
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
narrative_reviewCited 364×
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