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ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION |
1 From the Program in International Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, and the Nepal Technical Assistance Group, Kathmandu, Nepal
Background: It is not known whether daily consumption of vitamin A–containing foods is efficacious for treating nightblindness.
Objective: We assessed the effect of supplementation with vitamin A from food or synthetic sources on dark adaptation and plasma retinol concentrations in nightblind pregnant Nepali women.
Design: Nightblind pregnant women were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatment groups to receive 6 d/wk for 6 wk either 850 µg retinol equivalents/d as retinyl palmitate, vitamin A–fortified rice, goat liver, amaranth leaves, or carrots or 2000 µg retinol equivalents/d as retinyl palmitate. Dark adaptation was assessed weekly by using the pupillary threshold (PT) test; plasma retinol concentrations were measured before and after the intervention. These outcomes were also assessed in a comparison group of nonnightblind pregnant women.
Results: In the nightblind women, the mean PT improved significantly (P < 0.0001) from –0.71 ± 0.04 to –1.42 ± 0.02 log cd/m2, and the final mean PT did not differ significantly from that in the nonnightblind women (–1.43 ± 0.04; P = 0.55). Improvement in dark adaptation was greater in the liver group than in the vitamin A–fortified rice group (P < 0.02). Plasma retinol concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.0001) from 0.95 ± 0.05 to 1.07 ± 0.05 µmol/L. The plasma retinol response was greater in the higher-dose capsule and liver groups than in the vegetable groups and significantly greater in the liver group than in the vitamin A–fortified rice group (both: P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Improvement in dark adaptation did not differ significantly between women who received vitamin A as liver, amaranth leaves, carrots, or retinyl palmitate.
Key Words: Nightblindness • pregnancy • vitamin A status • supplementation • pupillary threshold • dark adaptation • Nepal • vitamin A • ß-carotene • food-based interventions
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