UNAM develops tortilla to tackle obesity and malnutrition

Professors and students of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) are developing tortillas fortified with protein, calcium, fiber, folic acid, probiotics, and prebiotics – a formula which can help people suffering from obesity or malnutrition .

According to their experimental work, these tortillas contain no food preservatives and eating two of them is equal to drinking a glass of milk.

This food is made through a double fermentation process which reduces pH and increases shelf life, ensuring the food lasts two months at room temperature and over three months when refrigerated.

The team of the Food engineering and Industrial Chemistry of the FES Cuautitlán suggests this food is an alternative for remote communities where malnutrition and lack of services, like electricity, are common problems.

Due to this double fermentation, they say it's enough to slightly wet the tortilla before it is reheated so it can recover its original texture and malleable properties.

According to researcher Raquel Gómez Pliego, living microorganisms are beneficial to our health and decrease plasma levels of lipids and chronic inflammation, which causes illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, Alzheimer, Parkinson, and cancer .

Currently, this tortilla is in the process of being patented.

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