Impacts of a Homestead Food Production Intervention on Anaemia and Micronutrient Deficiencies Among Women and Children in Rural Bangladesh: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Summary: Many women and young children around the world do not get enough vitamins and minerals in their food, which can make them tired or sick. Scientists in Bangladesh tested a 3-year program to see if teaching families to grow their own gardens and raise chickens would help. They checked the blood of over 2,400 women and 900 children for iron, zinc, and vitamin A. Even though the families ate a little better, the home gardens did not fix their lack of vitamins or cure their low blood iron (anemia). The researchers think families might need bigger changes in hygiene and diet to see a real difference.