Dietary animal source food across the lifespan in LMIC

Abstract

Poor nutrition and poverty are prevalent in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), and consumption of animal source foods (ASF), rich in high-quality calories and micronutrients, tends to be low. While many studies have focused on ASF consumption and health outcomes in children, few have investigated the effects of ASF across the lifespan. This review examines ASF's contribution to health outcomes in infancy and early childhood, schoolchildren, adolescence, pregnancy and lactation, and adulthood in LMIC, before exploring barriers to consumption. Constraints and barriers to ASF consumption in LMIC most significantly affect children and women. Several research gaps are identified, including the need for standardization of outcomes and better metrics, and attention to non-child populations, longer-term effects, and overall diet adequacy.