Rural‐urban variation in the calcium, iron, zinc and copper content of tortillas and intake of these minerals from tortillas by women in Guatemala

Tortillas are central to the traditional Guatemalan diet. This study measured the contents of calcium, iron, zinc and copper in tortillas and assessed the daily intake of these minerals which Kekchi women derived from tortilla intake. Tortillas from 50 households in three rural, two semi‐urban and one very low‐income urban community were found to contain a mean of 108 mg calcium, 1.5 mg iron, 1.8 mg zinc, and 0.2 mg copper per 100 g of edible portion. Calcium, iron and zinc contents were significantly different in rural than in urban tortillas. Mean tortilla intake per day was 579 g which contributed a mean of 1,164 kcal, 33 g protein, 643'mg calcium, 8.3 mg iron, 10.7 mg zinc and 0.88 mg copper. Tortilla intake alone contributed at least 50% of the R.N.I, in 78% of the women for calcium, 60% for iron and 92% for zinc. These data confirm that the tortilla remains an important dietary source of nutrients for Guatemalan women.