Including calcium-fortified water or flour in modeled diets based on local foods could improve calcium intake for women, adolescent girls, and young children in Bangladesh, Uganda, and Guatemala

Abstract

Adequate calcium intake is essential for health, especially for infants, children, adolescents, and women, yet is difficult to achieve with local foods in many low- and middle-income countries. Previous analysis found it was not always possible to identify food-based recommendations (FBRs) that reached the calcium population recommended intake (PRI) for these groups in Bangladesh, Guatemala, and Uganda. We have modeled the potential contribution of calcium-fortified drinking water or wheat flour to FBR sets, to fill the remaining intake gaps. Optimized diets containing fortified products, with calcium-rich local foods, achieved the calcium PRI for all target groups. Combining fortified water or flour with FBRs met dietary intake targets for adolescent girls in all geographies and allowed a reduction from 3–4 to the more feasible 1–2 FBRs. Water with a calcium concentration of 100 mg/L with FBRs was sufficient to meet calcium targets in Uganda, but higher concentrations (400–500 mg/L) were mostly required in Guatemala and Bangladesh. Combining calcium-fortified wheat flour at 400 mg/100 g of flour and the FBR for small fish resulted in diets meeting the calcium PRI in Bangladesh. Calcium-fortified water or flour could improve calcium intake for vulnerable populations, especially when combined with FBRs based on locally available foods.