title: Vitamin E status of agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil.
abstract: Vitamin E status of agricultural migrant workers representing low socioeconomic population of Southern Brazil was evaluated by determining dietary intake and plasma levels of vitamin E. The mean plasma vitamin E level of 85 female and 39 male subjects was 1.14 +/- 0.33 mg/100 ml or 2.27 +/- 0.53 mg/g of total lipids in plasma. The difference between the plasma vitamin E values of male and female subjects was insignificant. Using various criteria for the assessment of plasma vitamin E levels, it was established that plasma vitamin E expressed in terms of plasma total lipids is a better indicator of vitamin E status. The actual mean alpha-tocopherol intake of this population was 5.51 +/- 3.30 mg/person from a typical diet supplying about 1500 kcal/day. On a 2500 kcl basis, the estimated mean alpha-tocopherol intake would be about 9 mg/day which compares favorably with the intake values reported for well-nourished populations. The main dietary source of vitamin E in this population is the traditional rice and beans diet with increased use of soybean oil and vegetable oil products in recent years. On the whole the vitamin E status of this Brazilian population is quite satisfactory despite inadequacies in their intake of dietary calories and other essential nutrients. The plasma vitamin E status of these subjects supports the dietary data for the intake of vitamin E in this population.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D001938:Brazil; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E