13 mn children under 5 years of age suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition: Dr Neerja Hajela

About 13 million children under the age of five years suffer from Severe Acute Malnutrition and one to two million die each year, says Dr Neerja Hajela, Head of Science and Regulatory Affairs, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd.

And alarmingly, more than 30% children under five years are stunted, and more than 50% children, young girls and women are anaemic, that is nutritional deficiency of iron and other essential minerals, and vitamins in the body.

In addition to undernutrition, Dr Neerja highlighted that changes in diet and lifestyle have led to obesity which is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases like cancer, heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that 19% of men and 21% of women are obese and 73 million adults are affected by diabetes.

There is no quick fix to this alarming problem, but it does mean looking at health and nutrition in a more holistic manner to ensure better quality and quantity of food and a healthy lifestyle. Dr Neerja says nutrition loses its meaning if the food we eat is not being taken up by the body. “Therefore, getting the best from the food we eat is only possible if the intestine is healthy.”

She pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken us and what stares right into our face, is the link between food and immunity to help us stay protected. “This is when the role of the intestine becomes very important not just to digest food but also to absorb all the immune boosting nutrients from them,” Dr Neerja explained. “This important organ, which is the site for digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, is often the most neglected and it is not surprising that more than half the Indian population suffers from poor intestinal health.”

The importance of intestinal health has also entered scientific discourse with the realization that the intestine is the largest immune organ and the health of the intestine depends on these bacteria which are indispensable for its function. They have the magical power of determining intestinal health, and ensuring that the good bacteria are in higher numbers, is critical for a well, functioning intestine.

This is where probiotic foods come in, as it’s specifically designed to increase the good bacteria in the intestine and keep it healthy. Dr Neerja said consumption of some probiotic foods have been associated with absorption of micronutrients like calcium and iron from ingested foods. Studies conducted on children and young women in India showed that the iron status improved significantly by intake of a milk fortified with probiotics and prebiotics. She highlighted that in some cases, probiotic bacteria can produce B group vitamins which are easily destroyed by cooking and therefore a large proportion of the population suffers from deficiency of this important vitamin.

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Dr Neerja said pregnant women are among the most neglected group but have the greatest nutrient requirement. “Very often they suffer from digestive disorders and are unable to maximize the benefit from food which results in deficiency of iron, zinc, folic acid and iodine. Such women often have premature and low birth-weight babies.” She said it has been established that some scientifically tested probiotics can improve overall health during pregnancy and could be a useful adoption to diet regime.

Furthermore, it has been estimated that many countries will have a greater population of people above the age of 65 years than those under the age of five years. Aging results in gastrointestinal complications and poor digestive health and immunity. Studies have shown that specific probiotics can improve health of the elderly population by reducing inflammation, increasing good bacteria, and thus improving digestion and immunity.