Measuring bio-available nutrients: results from “Catalyzing a Nutrient Economy” Event
What are the innovative interventions that can be implemented to improve nutrition in mothers, babies, school children, and our workforce? Ashoka, GAIN, and BoPInc posed this question at the event “Catalyzing a Nutrient Economy” in Amsterdam, Netherlands April 19th 2013. A diverse group of stakeholders (listed below) including representatives from government, NGOs, and innovators on the ground, including Ashoka Fellows, discussed how the Nutrients for All framework unlocks opportunities for vitality in the landscapes, food, and...
read moreDemystifying the link between food and health: What happens when I eat that?
It’s not surprising that food and wellness are related. The link between good nutrition and good health is not that hard to understand; what people put into their body every day undoubtedly has some kind of effect on how it functions. What is probably less clear is the profound effects that ingredients and nutrients in food have on all kinds of body processes from brain function to blood pressure. A growing body of evidence and research supports the idea that even small increases in the amount of salt, sugar, and fat that we eat on a daily...
read moreChanging the choice to fruit in India
According to a study by Ashoka’s India office, many Indian women do not eat fruit regularly—only 58% of Indian women eat fruit on a weekly basis. Despite the rich micronutrient content that could go a long way to reduce nutritional deficiencies in Indian diets, this figure suggests that Indian women do not see fruit as an attractive option. What barriers exist in the system that keep fruit consumption so low among this population? Ashoka’s Baseline Study has identified four main reasons that span from market dependency to a lack of...
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