Plant sources of vitamin A and human nutriture: how much is still too little?
In a randomized controlled 12-week feeding trial among malnourished, anemic, and largely vitamin A-deficient Ghanaian preschool children, the hypothesis that the ability of provitamin A carotenoids in dark green, leafy vegetables (DGLV) to raise vitamin A status in different formats--with or without fat and with fat plus anthelmintic treatment for intestinal worms--was tested by comparison with a low vitamin A fare and with pure chemical beta-carotene. The 12-week increments in retinol concentrations over baseline ranged from 5% to 44%, but over half of the DGLV-fed population had persistently low circulating retinol. The very modest impact on vitamin A status of these maneuvers to optimize dietary use of provitamin A in DGLV has major implications for public policy to eradicate hypovitaminosis A.
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Center for Studies of Sensory Impairment, Aging, and Metabolism, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000178:diet therapy; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011640:Public Policy; D014675:Vegetables; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000871:Anthelmintics; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A