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Indigenous green vegetables used as food and medicine by the K'ekchi people of Alta Verapaz, Guatemala

The dietary and medicinal uses of indigenous green vegetables were studied quantitatively over a 13-month period in a rural, semi-rural and urban K'ekchi population in Guatemala. Seventeen species of indigenous greens were consumed, with seasonal variation in intake (p $<$.001) being related to agricultural practices. There was a lower frequency of consumption of greens among the urban group (p $<$.001). Within, and between, the communities, individuals exhibited heterogeneity in dietary intake and approaches to treatment of helminthic infection. There was no association between dietary intake of indigenous greens and the socioeconomic indicators measured (age, type of employment, household size and land use score). Proximate composition, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium, phylloquinone and total carotenes were determined for 13 species of indigenous greens. Composition of 5 of these has not been previously reported. Plasma phylloquinone was tested as a biochemical marker for validating determination of green plant intake.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.70277
Date January 1992
CreatorsBooth, Sarah
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageDoctor of Philosophy (School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001287121, proquestno: AAINN74594, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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