“Quite a lot,” say World Agroforestry Centre researchers.

In a World Health Day opinion article, Dr. Stepha McMullin and Dr. Katja Kehlenbeck state that the widespread cultivation of the right trees could greatly contribute towards achieving better nutrition for all. This would help protect against chronic illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes. 

Dietary potassium deficiency, for instance, is one of the factors associated with hypertension, a global public health crisis in the 21st century. Recent WHO guidelines aimed at arresting this trend recommend that adults raise their intake of potassium to 3,510 mg or more daily.

McMullin and Kehlenbeck point out that nuts and fruits from trees are packed with potassium and other minerals and vitamins important for health. They add that diversifying rural and urban landscapes with trees brings livelihood and environmental benefits that go way beyond nutrition.

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Read opinion published in The Standard, Kenya: Of trees and the way they help keep away high blood pressure

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