HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Haskell, M. J Articles by Brown, K. H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Haskell, M. J Articles by Brown, K. H Agricola Articles by Haskell, M. J Articles by Brown, K. H

Daily consumption of Indian spinach (Basella alba) or sweet potatoes has a positive effect on total-body vitamin A stores in Bangladeshi men^1,2,3

¹ From the Program in International Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis (MJH, JMP, and KHB), and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B): Centre for Health and Population Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh (KMJ, FH, MIH, and GJF)

Background: Recent evidence suggests that the vitamin A equivalency of ß-carotene from plant sources is lower than previously estimated.

Objective: We assessed the effect of 60 d of daily supplementation with 750 µg retinol equivalents (RE) of either cooked, puréed sweet potatoes; cooked, puréed Indian spinach (Basella alba); or synthetic sources of vitamin A or ß-carotene on total-body vitamin A stores in Bangladeshi men.

Design: Total-body vitamin A stores in Bangladeshi men (n = 14/group) were estimated by using the deuterated-retinol-dilution technique before and after 60 d of supplementation with either 0 µg RE/d (white vegetables) or 750 µg RE/d as sweet potatoes, Indian spinach, retinyl palmitate, or ß-carotene (RE = 1 µg retinol or 6 µg ß-carotene) in addition to a low–vitamin A diet providing 200 µg RE/d. Mean changes in vitamin A stores in the vegetable and ß-carotene groups were compared with the mean change in the retinyl palmitate group to estimate the relative equivalency of these vitamin A sources.

Results: Overall geometric mean (±SD) initial vitamin A stores were 0.108 ± 0.067 mmol. Relative to the low–vitamin A control group, the estimated mean changes in vitamin A stores were 0.029 mmol for sweet potato (P = 0.21), 0.041 mmol for Indian spinach (P = 0.033), 0.065 mmol for retinyl palmitate (P < 0.001), and 0.062 mmol for ß-carotene (P < 0.002). Vitamin A equivalency factors (ß-carotene:retinol, wt:wt) were estimated as 13:1 for sweet potato, 10:1 for Indian spinach, and 6:1 for synthetic ß-carotene.

Conclusion: Daily consumption of cooked, puréed green leafy vegetables or sweet potatoes has a positive effect on vitamin A stores in populations at risk of vitamin A deficiency.

Key Words: Deuterated retinol dilution • stable isotope • bioavailability • vitamin A status • ß-carotene • vitamin A stores • green leafy vegetables • sweet potatoes • Bangladesh

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. W. Low, M. Arimond, N. Osman, B. Cunguara, F. Zano, and D. Tschirley A Food-Based Approach Introducing Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Increased Vitamin A Intake and Serum Retinol Concentrations in Young Children in Rural Mozambique J. Nutr., May 1, 2007; 137(5): 1320 - 1327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. D Ribaya-Mercado, C. C Maramag, L. W Tengco, G. G Dolnikowski, J. B Blumberg, and F. S Solon Carotene-rich plant foods ingested with minimal dietary fat enhance the total-body vitamin A pool size in Filipino schoolchildren as assessed by stable-isotope-dilution methodology Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2007; 85(4): 1041 - 1049. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. C. Khan, C. E West, S. de Pee, D. Bosch, H. D. Phuong, P. J. Hulshof, H. H. Khoi, H. Verhoef, and J. G. Hautvast The contribution of plant foods to the vitamin A supply of lactating women in Vietnam: a randomized controlled trial Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2007; 85(4): 1112 - 1120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. K Tchum, S. A Tanumihardjo, S. Newton, B. de Benoist, S. Owusu-Agyei, F. K. Arthur, and A. Tetteh Evaluation of vitamin A supplementation regimens in Ghanaian postpartum mothers with the use of the modified-relative-dose-response test Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2006; 84(6): 1344 - 1349. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Tang, J. Qin, G. G Dolnikowski, R. M Russell, and M. A Grusak Spinach or carrots can supply significant amounts of vitamin A as assessed by feeding with intrinsically deuterated vegetables Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2005; 82(4): 821 - 828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. H. Lichtenstein and R. M. Russell Essential Nutrients: Food or Supplements?: Where Should the Emphasis Be? JAMA, July 20, 2005; 294(3): 351 - 358. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. van Lieshout and S. de Pee Vitamin A equivalency estimates: understanding apparent differences Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2005; 81(4): 943 - 945. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. J Haskell and K. H Brown Reply to M van Lieshout and S de Pee Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, April 1, 2005; 81(4): 945 - 946. [Full Text] [PDF]