. | . |
To improve children's diets, conserve forests by Brooks Hays Washington (UPI) Aug 17, 2018 According to new research, children who live closer to forests are more likely to eat healthier, more nutritious foods. The findings are the latest to link forest conservation to human health. Several studies have linked proximity forests, trees and green space with positive human health and behavior outcomes. "The data show that forests aren't just correlated with improvements in people's diets," Ranaivo Rasolofoson, a scientist at the University of Vermont, said in a news release. "We show that forests cause these improvements." In developing countries, some argue trees must make way for farms and gardens to boost nutrition. But the latests findings, published this week in the journal Science Advances, suggest the opposite. Many children in developing countries consume inadequate amounts of vitamin A, sodium, iron and calcium. Micronutrient deficiencies can lead to brain damage, stunted growth and death. Previous studies have found similar correlations, but lacked sophisticated statistical analysis. Authors of the newest study studied a wider range of households from several developing countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. They accounted for many variables that could mitigate or artificially enhance the connection between forest and nutrition. Their analysis showed similar households across a variety of developing countries were more likely to eat a healthier, more diverse diet if they lived closer to a forest. Scientists found forests provided families with food directly. Forest products also helped nearby families earn money to buy more nutritious foods. Wild pollinators in forests also boosted the productivity local gardens. Additionally, mothers in families living near forests were more likely to have enough free time to buy and prepare healthier meals. The analysis showed the positive dietary effects offered by forests are most pronounced for poorer families. "This study is a wake-up call that people who work on forest conservation and those that work on improving children's health should be working together and coordinating what they do," said Brendan Fisher, a fellow at Vermont's Gund Institute. "We are now seeing a lot more examples of how an integrated approach to some of the world's most pressing problems pays double dividends."
The art of living and thriving in the Amazon river basin Mamirau� Reserve, Brazil (AFP) Aug 16, 2018 Learning to swim in the Amazon river basin also means learning to avoid flesh-eating piranhas and snapping caimans. Residents of the Mamiraua and Amana Sustainable Development Reserves, deep in the Amazon rainforest, are experts at the art of survival. But they're just as at home caring for local plants and animals. Life here is a balancing act: you learn to avoid dangerous creatures, harvest the jungle fruit, and go with the flow as the seasons change and the river rises and falls. Roads ar ... read more
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |