Malnutrition is one of the country’s biggest health problems, particularly among the young ones. Based on a survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) in 2015, chronic malnutrition is at its worst in 10 years and this may get worse unless necessary steps are soon taken.
The FNRI data showed chronic malnutrition rate among children aged zero to two was at 26.2%, the highest in 10 years. From 2013 to 2015, 10% of stunting children increased to an average of 40% and is expected to increase in the coming years.
Stunting is the worst form of malnutrition. It is defined as low height-for-age. In the Philippines, stunting has been a pervasive concern among Filipino children. In 2019, 28.8% of children below five years old experience malnutrition due to prolonged hunger while the stunting rate among children two years old and below is at 21.9% according to the FNRI report.
A study, published by Philippine Journal of Science, stated that high stunting prevalence persists despite economic growth and development over the past years. The study identified Filipinos as “the second-shortest nationality among Southeast Asians.” A World Bank report ranked the Philippines 48th out of 136 countries in terms of stunting prevalence.
“Stunting is an irreversible condition which leads to the severe damage and impairment of a child’s physical and brain development, and adult productivity,” deplored Atty. Alberto Muyot, chief executive officer of Save the Children Philippines.
Health experts say stunting is the result of the low intake of vitamins and minerals often referred to as micronutrients. They enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances that are essential for proper growth and development.
One of the most important of the micronutrients against stunting is zinc, an essential trace element commonly found in red meat, poultry, and fish.
“Zinc is known to play a critical role in biological processes including cell growth, differentiation and metabolism,” the World Health Organization (WHO) states.
A study cited by the United Nations health agency showed that zinc supplementation “may have a greater impact on growth in stunted children compared to non-stunted children.”
Now, the good news. Filipinos may soon have access to significant dietary advantages in addressing the prevalence of zinc deficiency as the Philippine Rice Research Institute
(PhilRice) has begun scaling up the production of two zinc-rich rice varieties.
PhilRice reported that its satellite research center in Murcia, Negros Occidental, is expanding its production in the Visayas of NSIC Rc 460 and NSIC Rc 648, which contain more zinc than the ordinary rice.
A FNRI study showed children need 3–5 milligrams of zinc while adults need 8–11milligrams daily.
“By enriching rice with zinc — a daily staple for millions — we aim to make nutrition more accessible to vulnerable populations. Essentially, one cup or 150 grams of cooked NSIC Rc 460 or Rc 648 rice taken per day can provide up to 25% of the daily zinc requirement of pre-school children,” said Dr. B.P. Mallikarjuna Swamy, lead breeder from the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
The principal breeder indicated that NSIC Rc 460, which was introduced in 2016, contains 19.6 milligrams of zinc per kilogram, whereas NSIC Rc 648, which received approval in 2021, has a greater zinc concentration of 20.4 milligrams per kilogram.
PhilRice has identified Pangasinan, Quezon, and Sorsogon in Luzon, Iloilo in the Visayas, and Surigao del Sur and Maguindanao in Mindanao as priority regions with the highest number of stunted children, based on data from the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) and the availability of farmers willing to cultivate these varieties.
According to the project lead Leonilo V. Gramaje, it is anticipated that by 2028, around 35,000 households will benefit from the cultivation of high-zinc rice.
“Our efforts to produce zinc-rich rice varieties are part of a nationwide seed multiplication strategy under PhilRice’s Healthier Rice Program. PhilRice Negros leads the distribution in the Visayas, the Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija will serve Luzon, while Midsayap and Agusan will serve Mindanao,” Gramaje said.
Farmers may also benefit from planting these varieties as NSIC Rc 460 yields an average of 4.7 tons per hectare, matures in 115 days, and is resistant to the yellow stem borer.
Meanwhile, NSIC Rc 648 has an average yield of 4 tons per hectare, matures in 122 days,
and shows intermediate resistance to blast, bacterial leaf blight, sheath blight, brown planthopper, and green leafhopper.
The rice varieties were developed through conventional breeding in collaboration with Emily C. Arocena, Martha V. Chico, Henry T. Ticman, and Alvin D. Palanog of PhilRice.
Currently, the Philippines has six high-zinc rice varieties developed to complement government interventions on improving the country’s nutrition status.
Still another good news: Malusog rice may be enriched with high zinc and high iron, according to a recent report. Malusog rice is the local brand for golden rice, a product of biotechnology.
Golden rice contains beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Bioavailability of the carotene from golden rice has been confirmed and found to be an effective source of vitamin A for humans.
According to the IRRI, the beta-carotene content of golden rice aims to provide 30% to 50% of the estimated average requirement of vitamin A for pregnant women and young children.
The result of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 showed that daily consumption of a cup of golden rice – about 150 grams uncooked weight – could supply half of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamin A for an adult.
“The beta-carotene produced in golden rice is identical to the beta-carotene in green leafy and many types of yellow-colored vegetables and orange-colored fruits, and identical to synthetic beta-carotene found in many vitamin supplements and food ingredients,” says IRRI, a member of the CGIAR System Organization, a global research partnership for a good secure future.
The research on enriching Malusog rice with high zinc and high iron is “already done,” according to Dr. Howarth E. Bouis, an American economist whose work has focused on agriculture, nutrition outcomes, and reducing micronutrient malnutrition.
“The dossier to de-regulate zinc and iron events is ready for submission. Crosses into high-yielding backgrounds are already advanced in confined field trials,” said Dr. Bouis, who received the World Food Prize in acknowledgment of his groundbreaking efforts in the field of biofortification.
This recent development makes Malusog rice as “three-in-one” rice. It will be sold for the same price as regular white rice, Dr. Bouis said.
Mothers belonging to low-income groups who buy and serve their families ‘three-in-one’ Malusog rice, replacing regular white rice on a one-for-one basis without incurring additional expenses to the family food budget.
According to Dr. Bouis, doing so will double the family’s vitamin A consumption, more than double their family’s zinc consumption, and increase their family’s iron intake by 25%.
“This powerful new technology, available to all but particularly beneficial for the poor, demonstrates the Philippine government’s long-term commitment and investment in assisting the less fortunate Filipinos to improve their health and cognition,” Dr. Bouis urged.
“It would be an unspeakable travesty not to allow the commercial development of this new technology,” he added.
