Annual mega Event of Nutritionist Community of Pakistan 2023

Improving Cognitive Function and Iron Status

in Pre-Adolescent Girls with Quinoa Flour

Samra Altaf*, Sana Arif

Institute of Home Sciences University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
Email: samraaltaf365@gmail.com
Abstract

Quinoa flour for improving cognitive function and iron status in pre-adolescent girls.

Iron deficiency has become the most prevalent issue in Pakistan, affecting 56.6% of pre-
adolescent girls aged 9-13 years. Iron deficiency leads to a decrease in cognitive functions.
Quinoa flour possesses an adequate amount of iron and other minerals (e.g., Zn, Ca, Mg),
playing a significant role in improving cognition (memory and concentration). In this study,
quinoa flour will be combined with maize. Thirty girls aged 9-13 years will be divided into
three groups. The first group (T0) will serve as the control, while in group 'T1', participants
will consume flakes with a 70:30 ratio of quinoa flour to maize, and in group 'T2', they will
consume flakes with a 50:50 ratio of quinoa flour to maize daily. Iron levels and cognitive
abilities (memory and concentration) will be assessed at the beginning and end of the
intervention trials using the Multicomponent Test (MCT) for Verbal Learning, Memory, and
Concentration. The nutritional composition of grains will be analyzed through proximate
analysis and mineral analysis. The data will then be statistically analyzed.
Keywords: quinoa, pre-adolescent, cognition, flakes, multicomponent test