Eating the rainbow

Nigeria’s soil supports many species of fruits and vegetables, but the level of their consumption lags behind what it should be, writes OBODO EJIRO.

 

“The oranges are brought in from Gboko, Benue State, the watermelon comes from either Kano or Kebbi State, while the pineapples are brought in from Cotonu, Benin Republic or Edo State. We small traders have to rely on big fruit merchants for supplies from different places so our businesses can continue,” says Idris Adamu, a trader who has made a fortune off selling fruits in Apapa, Lagos.

 

Close to Adamu’s stall, a woman in her late 40s sells apples, figs, strawberries and pomegranates, all imported from South Africa. “This business has supported my family since my husband passed on,” she says, “my son is currently studying Economics at the University of Lagos, I’m fully responsible for his upkeep.”

 

Nigeria is rated as one of the seven largest producers of tropical fruits in the world. The varied ecologies and climatic conditions suitable for the production of a wide range of tropical and sub-tropical fruits confer on Nigeria an immense comparative advantage and potential to lead the world in tropical fruits production and trade. But apart from providing a means of livelihood for hundreds of Nigerians, fruits and vegetables hold a special but somewhat undermined place in the modern Nigerian diet.

 

A survey conducted by BusinessDay’s Research and Intelligence Unit (BRIU) in early 2015, showed that 35 percent of the 1,500 Nigerians surveyed said they eat fruits “once in a while, without any specific plan or pattern,” while only 25 percent of them said they “eat fruits every day.”

 

But several researches indicate that fruits and vegetables should be a large part of the daily diet. They are also at the centre of a new concept in nutrition referred to as “Eating the Rainbow.” Eating the rainbow as a concept is designed to draw attention to the merit of eating fruits and vegetables of all colours.

 

Some proponents of the concept advocate that, to make it easier for people to eat an assortment of fruits and vegetables, each day of the week could be assigned a specific colour from the seven colours of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Fruits and vegetables, which have colours that correspond to a particular day, can then be consumed as the week runs.

 

That way, people are more likely to get all the vitamins and nutrients they need. “Your children would love it, and it would make planning much easier for you, provided you didn’t go overboard and become completely rigid and fussy about only the colours,” says SuperKids Nutrition Inc, an American nutritional advisory.

 

“When nutritionists tell people to ‘eat the rainbow,’ what they are suggesting is a method that will help them remember to eat fruits and vegetables,” says Osadiaye Iyawe, a don at Biochemistry Department of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. “But Nigerians in the South, especially the South-East, have consumed fruits as part of their lifestyle for ages; this is displayed even in the way Easterners entertain guests,” he says.

 

The practice of ‘eating the rainbow’ goes beyond assigning colours. The importance of colours in the whole schemes rests on the premise that fruits of certain colours have been found to provide certain nutrients. For instance, red fruits are very heart healthy and give strength and support to joints. Orange coloured fruits are a great source of Vitamin C. The orange group helps keep eyes healthy. While green fruits and vegetables help the entire body and strengthen the immune system.

 

Vegetables contain nutrients including potassium, fiber, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E and C. Options like broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and garlic provide additional benefits. While Potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure, dietary fiber from vegetables helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Folate (folic acid) helps the body form healthy red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant and those in the first trimester of pregnancy need adequate folate to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and spina bifida during fetal development.

 

“The quantity and quality of what is consumed matters, so does the quality of soil from which the fruits and vegetables are harvested,” says Iyawe, who is also a member of the Nutritional Society of Nigeria.

 

Notwithstanding the benefits, fruit and vegetable consumption pattern across Nigeria are not the same.

 

Ladi Exile, a Borno State-based nutritionist, says, “people in the North-East consume fruits and vegetables, but in most cases not in the required quantity.” This is because that part of the country does not enjoy all year rainfall. “Most people here eat dry vegetables. They dehydrate them in the rainy season when they are available in abundance, and use them whenever they deem fit; it’s sad that even in the rainy season, most people still prefer dry vegetables to fresh ones,” she explains. This practice reduces the level of nutrients in the vegetables.

 

In other parts of the country, however, the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is much more rampant. According to Iyawe, “here in the South-South and South-East, there are vegetable soups which people cook with several vegetables mixed together; they jokingly call those kinds of meals five alive. We encourage people to eat vegetables because of the many benefits associated with them, especially the health benefits.”

 

The North-Central very much mirrors the vegetable consumption pattern in the south, however the consumption of fruits cities across in the country is much less than what obtains in rural settlements. Even though, proper knowledge of the benefit of fruits is more rampant in cities, according to BRIU’s survey.

 

Fruits, vegetables, health: the complex nexus

 

The Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition states that “a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, and lower risk of eye and digestive problems.”

 

A report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research suggests that non-starchy vegetables - such as lettuce and other leafy greens, broccoli, cabbage, as well as garlic, onions protect against several types of cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, and stomach.

 

Also, fruits and vegetables contain indigestible fibre, which absorbs water and expands as they pass through the digestive system. This can calm symptoms of an irritable bowel and, by triggering regular bowel movements, can relieve or prevent constipation. The bulking and softening action of insoluble fiber also decreases pressure inside the intestinal tract and could help prevent diverticulosis.

 

In the developed world, because of the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, more steps have been taken to make them part of routine meals, especially for children and growing adolescents. Michele Obama’s Lets Move Initiative has been at the forefront of promoting fruits and vegetables as part of the daily diet in the United States. In countries across Europe, there is more coordinated effort to disseminate news on the benefits of regular consumption of fruits and vegetables.

 

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 5th Edition (2000), published by the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, recommends that citizens eat more servings of vegetables and fruits.  Its 2014 version advises Americans to “vary their proteins, make at least half of their grains whole and half their plate fruits and vegetables.”

The benefit-demand mismatch

 

Increased awareness of the health benefits of fruits has resulted in the phenomenal growth in their demand worldwide. Between 1990 and 2000, the world production of tropical fruits increased from 40 million tons to 60 million tons with developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa accounting for about 98 percent of the production. International trade in tropical fruits is estimated at over $75 billion annually. “But there is no clear campaign designed to make more Nigerian consume high quantities of fruits and vegetables, says a research nutritionist who pleaded anonymity.  

 

However, BRIU’s survey indicates that the most popularly consumed fruits in the country include apples, banana, oranges and pineapples. Seventy percent of respondents said they eat apples regularly, while 60 percent consume more of bananas, half of them said they majorly eat oranges. Though the major fruits of economic importance produced in Nigeria include mango, pineapple, avocado pear, papaya, citrus, banana and plantain. Others are irvingia sp (bush mango, ogbono), chrysophyllum albidum (African star apple, agbalumo, Udara), dacryodes edulis (native pear or ube) not all receive the same amount of attention.

 

Based on the survey, half of respondents make their purchases from either the local retailer (mallam) or open markets. The average adult spends N100 - N250 on fruits weekly, which is a far cry compared to what is spent on other food components.