Micronutrient composition and nutritional importance of gathered vegetables in Vietnam

This article presents the nutrient composition and nutritional contribution of naturally occurring vegetables (NOV) in four villages in Vietnam. The f requency of consumption and quantities eaten were evaluated within the over all diet of 101 and 110 women in the Mekong Delta (flood period and rainy s eason, respectively) and of 103 women in the Central Highlands (rainy seaso n). The concentrations of Ca, Fe and Zn were analysed in 28 species, and pr esence of tannins and phytic acid in 19 species. Provitamin carotenoids wer e determined in 11 species. Over 90% of the women consumed NOV, and they co ntributed 43, 72 and 75% (Central Highlands, Mekong rainy and Mekong flood period, respectively) of the total quantities of vegetables eaten. Aquatic species such as lpomoea aquatica and Limnocharis flava, and terrestrial veg etables such as Schismattoglottis calyptrata, were among the most commonly consumed vegetables. They were eaten in mean daily quantities exceeding 50 g and had high concentrations of Ca, Fe and beta -carotene. Other major aqu atic vegetables included the stems of Eleocharis sp., Nelumbo nucifera and Nymphea lotus, all of which were used as salad vegetables and had relativel y low nutrient density. The problems of assessing the current role of NOV d ue to lack of data on intakes in the context of the overall diets, as well as data on their composition, are addressed.