A randomized, 4-month mango and fat supplementation trial improved vitamin A status among young Gambian children.
Supplementation with carotene-rich fruits may be an effective and sustainable approach to prevent vitamin A deficiency. To test the effectiveness of mango supplementation, 176 Gambian children, aged 2 to 7 y, were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: 75 g of dried mango containing approximately 150 micro g retinol activity equivalents with (MF) or without (M) 5 g of fat, 5 d/wk for 4 mo or 60,000 micro g of vitamin A (A) or placebo (P) capsule at baseline. After 4 mo, plasma beta-carotene was greater in both the M (P < 0.05) and MF (P = 0.07) groups compared with the P group. After controlling for baseline plasma retinol, elevated acute phase proteins and age, plasma retinol concentrations in the A and MF, but not M, groups were higher than in the P group at the end of the study (P < 0.01). Increases in retinol concentrations, however, were small in both groups. These results support the use of dietary supplementation with dried mangoes and a source of fat as one of several concurrent strategies that can be used to help maintain vitamin A status of children in developing countries where there is a severe seasonal shortage of carotenoid-rich foods.
Drammeh
Bakary S
BS
Department of Epidemiology and International Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
Marquis
Grace S
GS
Funkhouser
Ellen
E
Bates
Chris
C
Eto
Isao
I
Stephensen
Charles B
CB
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005638:Fruit; D005714:Gambia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D010919:Placebos; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
D004041:Dietary Fats; D010919:Placebos; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A