title: Less than adequate vitamin E status observed in a group of preschool boys and girls living in the United States.
abstract: In that data were not available on the vitamin E status of young children, the aim of the study was to evaluate the vitamin E status of preschool children by three commonly used criteria: vitamin E intakes, plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations and plasma alpha-tocopherol/total lipid ratios. Twenty-two ethnically diverse preschool children (13 males and 9 females), aged 2 to 5 years, living in Lincoln, NE, served as subjects. The subjects were in two groups: 2-3 and 4-5 years old. Energy, fat, and alpha- and gamma-tocopherol intakes of the subjects were estimated utilizing two 24-h food recalls. Plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol and total lipid concentrations were ascertained. No significant differences by age grouping or gender were observed for vitamin E intakes, plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations, plasma gamma-tocopherol concentrations and plasma alpha-tocopherol/total lipid ratios of subjects. Plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations indicative of less than adequate status (<12 micromol/L) were observed in 91% of the children, and values <7 micromol/L (proposed cutoff for pediatric populations) in 68%. Sixty-eight percent of the subjects had plasma alpha-tocopherol/total lipid values <0.8 mg/g. The majority of the 2- to 5-year-old children included in the study had less than adequate vitamin E status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0806, USA.
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Drewel
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Giraud
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Davy
authors.forename: Judy A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Driskell
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D008055:Lipids; D014810:Vitamin E; D024504:gamma-Tocopherol; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol