'Plumpynut'

Go to Health: ‘Plumpynut’

Severely malnourished children in Africa are being saved by a fortified peanut butter known as ‘Plumpynut’. It was developed by Andre Briend, a French pediatric nutritionist with WHO who saw the need for a food that was cheap to produce, ready to eat, and did not need clean water to prepare. It contains peanut paste, vegetable oil, powdered milk, sugar, vitamins and minerals, combined in a foil pouch that equals 500 calories. Peanuts contain monounsaturated fats, which are easy to digest; ‘Plumpynut’ is rich in zinc and protein, good for the immune system and muscle development. According to Doctors Without Borders, there is virtually no peanut allergy among the children they treat.

Mothers who are themselves malnourished can’t produce enough breast milk for their children, can’t afford to buy milk, and lack clean water, electricity and refrigeration.

Doctors Without Borders have been giving out packets of ‘Plumpynut’ in Niger, Malawi, Darfur, and other African countries since 2005 to children who are dramatically underweight and able to be treated as outpatients. Children love the taste and all but the weakest can feed it to themselves. In most cases, their weight gain and return to health is rapid . Please watch the remarkable results of using ‘Plumpynut’ on 60 Minutes with Anderson Cooper
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/10/19/60minutes/main3386661.shtml

Doctors Without Borders
estimate there are 20 million malnourished children around the world, and only about 3% are getting foods like ‘Plumpynut’ .

You can support Doctors without Borders by calling
1-888-392-0392

Sadja Greenwood MD