Iron metabolism and vitamin A deficiency in children in Northeast Thailand

Article Abstract:

It has been suggested that Vitamin A is involved in the differentiation of various tissues and in the biologic incorporation of iron. Various epidemiologic studies suggest that anemia and Vitamin A deficiency often occur together. In Northeast Thailand preschool children are known to consume only about one-third of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A. The rate of anemia in this area is reported to afflict 40 percent of the population. When studied, children of this area showed a striking association between night blindness (Vitamin A deficiency) and low levels iron in the blood. A statistical study of 1,060 children age one to eight years showed that there was a relationship between blood abnormalities and biologically active iron. An interventional study was carried out with 300 children to ascertain if the observations of blood abnormalities, low blood iron levels and dietary deficiency of Vitamin A are causally related. These children were measured for blood levels of Vitamin A, retinol-binding protein (Vitamin A carrier in the body), and iron. A group of 78 of these children received vitamin A capsules; the remaining children served as controls. After two months the children were again studied and their blood levels tested. Significant differences between the supplemented and control groups were found which indicated that there is an association between the levels of Vitamin A and the ability to incorporate iron into healthy blood cells. When the levels were tested once again four months after the supplementation there were no differences among the children. This study suggests that periodic massive doses of Vitamin A may be used to improve the blood iron levels in deficient populations.

Anemia, Measurement, Causes of, Physiological aspects, Iron in the body, Iron (Nutrient), Vitamin A, Blood chemical analysis, blood

---

Dose-response relationships regarding vitamin B-6 in elderly people: a nationwide nutritional survey (Dutch Nutritional Surveillance System)

Article Abstract:

As the age of the population of developed countries continues to increase, the level of the minimal allowances of nutrients which prevents dietary deficiency in individuals of advanced age is becoming progressively more important. The Recommended Dietary Allowances are not necessarily adequate for all individuals of advanced age. The current study attempts to relate the dietary ingestion of Vitamin B-6 with measures of the status of B-6 in the body (blood level of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and the enzyme, aspartate aminotransferase activity). The study was carried out as part of the Dutch Nutritional Surveillance System and included 539 individuals in the study population. Participants were aged 65-79, living independently, caucasian, and apparently healthy (not bedridden and not near the end of life), and mentally and physically able to participate. Volunteers were first visited at home, where demographic variables and data were collected. A few days later they met with a physician who administered a questionnaire, and took blood samples. The patients also met with dietitians who took a dietary history which focused on the previous two weeks. The data show a relationship between ingested doses of B-6 and the expression of this vitamin in the various blood measures. The data also suggest that many of the elderly require supplementation of Vitamin B-6 that could be obtained by changes in food consumption habits. Prospective studies on the effect of supplementation on both morbidity and mortality could offer much help in planning a proper dietary strategy for our aging population.

Aged, Elderly, Food and nutrition, Dosage and administration, Vitamin B deficiency, Vitamin B, Vitamin B complex, Deficiency diseases

---

Vitamin A intervention: short-term effects of a single, oral, massive dose on iron metabolism

Article Abstract:

Both vitamin A deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia are major health problems in Thailand, particularly among the nation's children. There is some evidence that the two nutritional diseases are related, specifically that lack of vitamin A has an adverse effect on iron metabolism. One previous study demonstrated that supplementation with vitamin A improved blood indicators of iron status, including hemoglobin and hematocrit, in anemic children. This study included 134 children aged three to nine with clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency. They were given either one single large dose of vitamin A or an inert placebo, and two weeks later iron status was assessed. The supplemented group showed increases in hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, and transferrin saturation, all of which indicate the amount of iron in the body. As expected, indices of vitamin A status also improved significantly. Because these effects were seen in only two weeks, other factors that might influence iron status such as seasonal changes and illness could be eliminated. The results suggest that vitamin A deficiency contributes to the causation of iron-deficiency anemia in Thailand. Public health programs that would give massive doses of vitamin A on a periodic basis could help treat anemia in this population. Since vitamin A is stored in the body, it is possible to effectively treat the deficiency by supplying an occasional large dose. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Health aspects, Complications and side effects, Thailand, Pediatric diseases, Child malnutrition, Iron deficiency anemia, Iron deficiency anemia in children, Nutrition disorders in children, Vitamin A deficiency in children

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Methadone treatment and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic. Methadone treatment and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• Abstracts: n-3 Fatty acids of marine origin lower systolic blood pressure and triglycerides but raise LDL cholesterol compared with n-3 and n-6 fatty acids from plants
• Abstracts: Pasta cooking time: influence on starch digestion and plasma glucose and insulin responses in healthy subjects

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.