Abstracts » Food/cooking/nutrition

Plant sources of vitamin A and human nutrition: red palm oil does the job

Article Abstract:

One component of micronutrient malnutrition is vitamin deficiency, and research in India has shown beta-carotene in red palm oil is a reliable source of vitamin A. The traditional treatment for hypovitaminosis A has been high doses of retinyl palmitate as a dietary supplement, but cooking food in red palm oil has been shown to pass the vitamin A in beta-carotene to schoolchildren, making this an effective strategy to combat this kind of malnutrition.

Research, Nutrition, Vitamin A, Palm oil

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Plant sources of vitamin A and human nutrition: renewed strategies

Article Abstract:

Consumption of dark green leafy vegetables does not appear to correct a vitamin A deficiency. Comparison of cooked vegetable supplements to a beta carotene fortified cracker in Indonesian women revealed that only the cracker could improve the women's vitamin A status. The amount of beta carotene was the same in the vegetables and the cracker. It appears that in vegetables, beta carotene is not in a form that is available for production of vitamin A.

Greens, Edible, Leafy vegetables

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Plant sources of vitamin A and human nutriture: how much is still too little?

Article Abstract:

The ability of provitamin A carotenoids was tested and compared with a low vitamin A fare with the pure chemical Beta-carotene. The test was carried out on malnourished, anemic and largely vitamin A deficient Ghanaian preschool children and the 12-week increments in retinol concentrations over baseline ranged from 5% to 44%.

Ghana, Carotenoids, Child malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency in children

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