American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 29, 1372-1375, Copyright © 1976 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Vitamin A absorption in ascariasis

D Mahalanabis, KN Jalan, TK Maitra and SK Agarwal

Vitamin A absorption was studied in a group of 28 adult patients with ascariasis and 12 healthy adult controls, using a simplified vitamin A absorption test. In over 70% of the patients with ascariasis malabsorption of vitamin A was demonstrated. Stool egg counts for ascaris were not related to the degree of vitamin A malabsorption. Of the 23 patients in whom a D-xylose absorption test was performed, seven showed excretion less than 20% in 5 hr. Immediately after expulsion of the worms, vitamin A absorption improved in 13 out of 14 patients tested (in nine to normal level). The results of this study suggest that ascariasis in populations on marginal intakes of vitamin A and its precursors is an important contributing factor in producing clinical vitamin A deficiency.

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