By KT Reporter
Scientists at Makerere University are developing a new variety of soybean, which they say will help the country solve the current high levels of malnutrition.
According to Prof Phinehas Tukamuhabwa, a researcher in the department of crop science at Makerere University, while they have been involved in breeding soybean for a long time, the new breed they are testing will be both climate resilient and will have reduced anti-nutrient factors.
Anti-nutrient factors are substances found in many edible crops that reduce nutrient intake, absorption, and utilization by an animal or human being, and for this new soybean, the scientist explains that they will try to reduce them as much as possible, such that the end product will be easily digestible by both children and adults.
This study that has brought together experts at the Food Science and Nutrition department, the department of pediatrics and the college of agriculture is scheduled to last three years and the plan is that once the soybean passes the first test, it will be processed into a supplement paste which will be offered to stunted children in Busoga to test its ability to curb malnutrition.
Ezekiel Mupere, who heads the Pediatrics and Child Health department at Makerere University, explains that they will categorize participating children into three groups.
The first group will be offered a highly processed supplement with very reduced anti-nutrients, and another group will be given a less processed supplement to take along with their usual diets.
The third group will not be given a supplement but just their normal diets, and all of them will be followed up for three months to check for any visible changes.
He says throughout the study duration, scientists will be able to assess whether there were repeated disease conditions, new occurrences of disease, and whether the stunted children will be making any milestones in terms of growth.
Meanwhile, commenting about the study, Dr Harriet Babikako, a Child Health Expert, told URN that if successful, the product will be a game changer in solving the high stunting levels in the country, which have long stagnated at about 26 per cent of all children below the age of five.
She adds that stunting has a lasting impact on the child, that it will not only affect their performance in school but also their employability in the future. For her, soybean as a food is a multi-nutrient with a lot of proteins, calcium, iron, and vitamins that help children build their muscles and curb iron deficiency.
For her, this soybean would be more accessible and affordable than milk and meat, and therefore would be an easy replacement for communities.
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