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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Davis, California » Western Human Nutrition Research Center » Obesity and Metabolism Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #278522

Title: Daily consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potato with added fat tends to increase total body vitamin A pool size in vitamin A depleted Bangladeshi women

Author
item JAMIL, KAZI - International Centre For Diarrhoeal Disease Research
item BROWN, KENNETH - University Of California
item JAMIL, MALEKA - International Centre For Diarrhoeal Disease Research
item PEERSON, JANET - University Of California
item KEENAN, ALISON - University Of California
item Newman, John
item HASKELL, MARJORIE - University Of California

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/9/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Poor vitamin A status is found among malnourished, elderly, and chronically sick populations, and this vitamin is of critical importance to normal health and development. Dietary supplementation with vitamin A -rich foods has been an important approach to combating this problem. However low fat diets are common in malnourished populations and may reduce the absorption of vitamin A. To determine if increased dietary fat could positively influence vitamin A, we assessed the effect of daily consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), with or without added fat, on the total body vitamin A pool size of Bangladeshi women with low initial vitamin A status. Women (n=120) received for 60d either 1) 0 µg retinol activity equivalents /d as boiled white-fleshed sweet potatoes (WFSP) and a corn oil (CO) capsule; or 600 µg retinol activity equivalents /d as either 2) boiled OFSP and a CO capsule, 3) fried OFSP and a CO capsule, or 4) boiled WFSP and a retinyl palmitate capsule, in addition to their home diets. Plasma concentrations of retinol and ß-carotene, and total body vitamin A pool size were assessed before and after the 60-d intervention. Initial and final mean plasma retinol concentrations were ~0.8, and final means did not differ by group. Plasma ß-carotene concentrations increased from ~0.10 to ~0.2 µmol/L (p<0.0001), with final plasma ß-carotene concentrations being highest in the groups that received OFSP (p<0.0001). Total body vitamin A pool sizes increased from 17.2 ± 13.3 mg and 26.0 ± 20.1 mg, (p=0.048; n=110). While final mean vitamin A pool sizes did not differ by group, the group that received OFSP with tended to have a larger final mean vitamin A pool size as compared to the negative control group (p=0.12). Therefore, increasing dietary fat may improve the efficiency of dietary vitamin A supplementation to combat low status in at risk populations.

Technical Abstract: We assessed the affect of daily consumption of orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), with or without added fat, on the total body vitamin A (VA) pool size of Bangladeshi women with low initial VA status. Women (n=120) received for 60d either 1) 0 µg RAE/d as boiled white-fleshed sweet potatoes (WFSP) and a corn oil (CO) capsule; or 600 µg RAE/d as either 2) boiled OFSP and a CO capsule, 3) fried OFSP and a CO capsule, or 4) boiled WFSP and a retinyl palmitate capsule, in addition to their home diets. Plasma concentrations of retinol and ß-carotene, and total body VA pool size were assessed before and after the 60-d intervention. Initial and final mean plasma retinol concentrations were 0.75 ± 0.18 µmol/L and 0.84 ± 0.19 µmol/L, respectively, (p=0.31); final means did not differ by group (p=0.11). Initial and final mean plasma ß-carotene concentrations were 0.10 ± 00 µmol/L and 0.18 ± 0.09 µmol/L, respectively, (p<0.0001); final mean plasma ß-carotene concentrations were higher in groups that received OFSP (p<0.0001). Initial and final mean total body VA pool sizes were 17.2 ± 13.3 mg and 26.0 ± 20.1 mg, respectively (p=0.048; n=110). Final mean VA pool sizes did not differ by group; however, the final mean VA pool size tended to by higher in the group that received OFSP with fat than in the negative control group (p=0.12). Supported by the HarvestPlus Program and the International Atomic Energy Agency.