Rice is so important to the Asian diet that it may be..........infant and maternal mortality even at low levels.

Rice is the staple food of Asians ...

Rice is so important to the Asian diet that it may be the main component of almost all the meals Asians consume. Yet it is this dependence on rice that contributes to chronic micro-nutrient deficiency in millions. Although rice is able to provide adequate energy, it has an incomplete amino acid profile and contains limited amounts of micro-nutrients. Milling, which produces white rice – the most commonly eaten form – removes large amounts of protein, fibre, fat, iron and B vitamins. Therefore, the most common nutritional problems in poor rice-eating communities are protein-energy malnutrition andiron, iodine and Vitamin A deficiencies. About half of women in their reproductive ages in Asia suffer from iron deficiency while Vitamin A deficiency affects 10-25 per cent of children and pregnant women. In South Asia, the level of sub-clinical Vitamin A deficiency in preschoolers may be as high as 1 in 3. Iron deficiency reduces a child's ability to learn and is a leading cause for maternal deaths. Vitamin A deficiency may lead to blindness and is a major risk factor in infant and maternal mortality even at low levels.

Summary: Rice is the staple food of Asians. However dependence on rice leads to chronic micro-nutrient deficiency. This is due to the consumption of white rice which through milling, loses most of its nutrients. Millions suffer from protein-energy malnutrition and iron, iodine and Vitamin A deficiencies. This reduces a child's learning ability,  increases risks of blindness and infant and maternal mortality.