Abstract
Vegetables are considered to be the most affordable and sustainable sources of several micronutrients that are essential for physical and mental development, immune system functioning, and various metabolic processes in humans. However, their effectiveness as dietary sources of minerals is influenced by mineral–mineral interactions that may either enhance or reduce the absorption of certain micronutrients in the body. The awareness of such interactions, therefore, is useful when selecting vegetables that could help meet specific dietary criteria for improving micronutrient status. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of Cucumis myriocarpus and Pergularia daemia as sources of mineral nutrients based on their mineral ratios for calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus. The Ca/Fe, Ca/K, Ca/Mg, and Ca/Zn ratios were 4.9, 0.9, 2.1, and 9.4, respectively, in C. myriocarpus. For P. daemia the same ratios were 1.7, 0.3, 1.6, and 9.7, respectively. A negative interaction was predicted between calcium and potassium, while the other calcium ratios were considered to be appropriate. The Fe/Zn ratio was adequate for C. myriocarpus (1.9) but excessive for P. daemia (5.6), while the K/Na ratio was good in both vegetables at 39.5 and 12.8, respectively. The P/Ca ratio was 0.2 in C. myriocarpus and 0.3 in P. daemia. Both wild vegetables could be promoted as natural sources for the minerals analyzed, but some adjustment of the P/Ca and Ca/K ratios would be required. Furthermore, the selection of P. daemia for either iron or zinc supplementation is not recommended because of the high Fe/Zn ratio.
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