Contribution of forest foods to dietary intake and their association with household food insecurity: A cross-sectional study in women from rural Cameroon
This article (PDF) in the Public Health Nutrition journal indicates that forest foods can contribute significantly to achieving nutrition and food security in the forest-dependent communities. Despite the under-utilization and neglect of forest foods, studies indicate that these foods can enrich household diets, providing essential nutrients and bioactive compounds that can prevent undernutrition and coronary diseases, and provide sources of income for millions of people. In addition, these foods also act as a safety net during times of shortage of other foods. The research aimed to show to what extend forest-food consumption would enhance their nutritional status. The authors found that the participants that consumed forest foods obtained substantial amounts of the essential nutrients vitamin A, Fe, Zn and Na from forest foods. The authors state that forest foods, if consumed in adequate quantities, have the potential to improve dietary diversity, food security and nutrient adequacy for forest communities in Cameroon.