Allahabad University study to find ways how microgreens can improve health of rural girls

A team led by Neetu Mishra, associate professor and head, department of family and community sciences, AU will undertake in-depth laboratory and field based studies

A team of Allahabad University (AU) researchers will conduct a study to identify ways in which microgreens—young vegetable greens that are just a few inches tall like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, watercress and radish etc—can help improve health of adolescent girls living in villages of Uttar Pradesh.

Microgreens will be extensively studied for their nutritional benefits. (For Representation)

For this, a research project “Microgreens value addition for advancement towards nutrition and wellness among adolescent girls in rural areas” along with funds of ₹11.94 lakh has been sanctioned by the Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh.

As part of this mission, a team led by Neetu Mishra, associate professor and head, department of family and community sciences, AU will undertake in-depth laboratory and field based studies.

“Microgreens will be extensively studied for their nutritional benefits and will be explored for their micronutrient composition. Microgreens will further be utilised for novel food product development. The laboratory work will be done in the research lab of department of family and community sciences and field work will be done in villages of Koraon development block of Prayagraj,” said Mishra.

Field work will include assessment of health, hygiene and nutritional status of adolescent girls of Koraon, she added. Several workshops and awareness campaigns will also be organised in the area under study and efforts will be made to enhance the nutritional status of adolescent girls of rural areas, she said.

As per experts, adolescence is a critical period of growth and development as it is transition between childhood and adulthood. Health and nutrition of the girls affect the health and survival of future generation, they add.

A recently published study undertaken on the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Bijnor district had revealed that the mean weight and height of the studied sample were below the national centre for health statistics (NCHS) standard. Around 35% girls were below the suggested weight and 5% girls were overweight as calculated by body mass index (BMI).

In adolescents, anaemia has been linked to affecting physical disorders, growth, mental retardation besides increasing reproductive morbidities among adolescent girls during their womanhood. It is believed that with increasing age, females are more prone to anaemia than their male counterparts.

A separate study published in May 2022 on prevalence of anaemia and the associated factors among adolescent boys and girls residing in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar covering 20,594 adolescents aged 10–19 years in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar showed that overall anaemia was more prevalent among adolescent girls than adolescent boys (20% vs 8.7%).