A Food-Based Approach Introducing Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Increased Vitamin A Intake and Serum Retinol Concentrations in Young Children in Rural Mozambique

AbstractIn rural Nigeria, most households cannot afford food products rich in vitamin A which gave rise to the introduction of bio-fortified agricultural produces. One of these is the Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP). Although introduced about six years ago, empirical evidence as regards the actual level of adoption as well as its effect on their productivity remains relatively scarce. The analysis was built on a field survey of 183 smallholders in Kwara State, Nigeria conducted in the year 2016. Tobit model and the Heckman’s two stage models were used to model the determinants the intensity of cultivation and the effect of OFSP’s cultivation on the income of the smallholders. Results indicate that almost 87% of the smallholders sampled were into the cultivation of OFSP with 56% of them cultivating it solely for family consumption and its nutritional value. Also, 44% of them put less than half a hectare of their farmland to the cultivation of OFSP. The result showed that aged smallholders, members of cooperative groups and those who cultivate OFSP solely have a smaller proportion of their farmland cultivated to OFSP. Similarly, the age of the smallholders, household size, years of schooling, cost of production were the factors that significantly influence the cultivation OFSP on the income of the smallholders. The policy implication of this is that the potentials of OFSP have to be promoted particularly among the rural smallholders most especially through the existing cooperative groups. This can either be through organized seminars or specifically through demonstration plots.

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Orange fleshed sweet potato a nutrition sensitive functional food for possible dietary approach to vitamin A deficiency and undernutrition

World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews ◽

10.30574/wjarr.2021.12.3.0520 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 645-651

Author(s):

Jyotsna Khanam ◽

Sheikh Faisal Asadullah Mahdi ◽

Monera Ahsan ◽

Sheikh Nazrul Islam

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Sweet Potatoes ◽

Carotene Content ◽

Sensitive Function ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Nutrition Sensitive ◽

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato ◽

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSPs) is an excellent nutrition sensitive function food. It contains dense amount of carotene and is also rich in proximate nutrients. A wide number of cultivars of OFSPs has been developed worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. In Bangladesh, sixteen cultivars have been developed. Carotene content in the OFSPs surpasses all of the plant food carotene. OFSPs also contains good content of energy yielding nutrients. The Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes could, therefore, be a potential dietary approach to address the vitamin A deficiency for undernourished indigent people.

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Research Recommendations for Applying Vitamin A-Labelled Isotope Dilution Techniques to Improve Human Vitamin A Nutrition

International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research ◽

10.1024/0300-9831/a000185 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 84 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 52-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sherry A. Tanumihardjo ◽

Anura V. Kurpad ◽

Janet R. Hunt

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Human Subjects ◽

The Body ◽

Pool Size ◽

Serum Retinol ◽

Vitamin A Status ◽

Status Assessment ◽

Total Body

The current use of serum retinol concentrations as a measurement of subclinical vitamin A deficiency is unsatisfactory for many reasons. The best technique available for vitamin A status assessment in humans is the measurement of total body pool size. Pool size is measured by the administration of retinol labelled with stable isotopes of carbon or hydrogen that are safe for human subjects, with subsequent measurement of the dilution of the labelled retinol within the body pool. However, the isotope techniques are time-consuming, technically challenging, and relatively expensive. There is also a need to assess different types of tracers and doses, and to establish clear guidelines for the use and interpretation of this method in different populations. Field-friendly improvements are desirable to encourage the application of this technique in developing countries where the need is greatest for monitoring the risk of vitamin A deficiency, the effectiveness of public health interventions, and the potential of hypervitaminosis due to combined supplement and fortification programs. These techniques should be applied to validate other less technical methods of assessing vitamin A deficiency. Another area of public health relevance for this technique is to understand the bioconversion of β-carotene to vitamin A, and its relation to existing vitamin A status, for future dietary diversification programs.

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Review of the Micronutrient Situation in Rwanda

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0379572120975298 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 133-154

Author(s):

Joanne E. Arsenault ◽

Deanna K. Olney

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Young Children ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Age Groups ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Micronutrient Deficiencies ◽

Micronutrient Malnutrition ◽

Context Specific

Background: Rwanda’s commitment to reducing malnutrition is evident in their multisectoral nutrition policy and wide array of nutrition partners. However, the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies and the suitability of current strategies to address existing deficiencies is unclear. Objective: To review the available evidence related to the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies across the life cycle and strategies in place to address them. Methods: We reviewed scientific and grey literature on nutritional problems in Rwanda, emphasizing micronutrient deficiencies and anemia, and current strategies to address micronutrient malnutrition. Results: Overall, there is scant evidence related to the types and prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies among populations across the life cycle in Rwanda. Existing evidence is primarily limited to outdated or small regional surveys focusing on iron or vitamin A among women and young children. Surveys have assessed the prevalence of anemia and indicate that anemia is very high among young children and moderately high among other age-groups. However, there are limited data on the context-specific causes of anemia in Rwanda across population groups. Current nutrition strategies mainly target women and young children and are primarily designed to reduce vitamin A deficiency and/or anemia caused by micronutrient deficiencies. Conclusions: Rwanda has many nutrition programs in place that address micronutrient deficiencies in young children and a few for women of reproductive age. However, gaps exist in knowledge of the extent of different types of micronutrient deficiencies among all populations across the life cycle and whether the delivery of nutrients through current programs is meeting actual needs.

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South African preschool children habitually consuming sheep liver and exposed to vitamin A supplementation and fortification have hypervitaminotic A liver stores: a cohort study

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ◽

10.1093/ajcn/nqy382 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 110 (1) ◽

pp. 91-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Martha E van Stuijvenberg ◽

Muhammad A Dhansay ◽

Jana Nel ◽

Devika Suri ◽

Michael Grahn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Total Serum ◽

High Dose ◽

Serum Retinol ◽

Hypervitaminosis A ◽

Total Liver ◽

Before And After ◽

Retinyl Esters

ABSTRACT Background In some regions, multiple vitamin A (VA) interventions occur in the same target groups, which may lead to excessive stores. Retinol isotope dilution (RID) is a more sensitive technique than serum retinol to measure VA status. Objective We evaluated VA status before and after a high-dose supplement in preschool children living in a region in South Africa with habitual liver consumption and exposed to VA supplementation and fortification. Methods After baseline blood samples, subjects (46.7 ± 8.4 mo; n = 94) were administered 1.0 μmol [14,15]-13C2-retinyl acetate to estimate total liver retinol reserves by RID with a follow-up 14-d blood sample. Liver intake was assessed with a frequency questionnaire. In line with current practice, a routine 200,000 IU VA capsule was administered after the RID test. RID was repeated 1 mo later. Serum retinyl esters were evaluated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Results At baseline, 63.6% of these children had hypervitaminosis A defined as total liver retinol reserves ≥1.0 μmol/g liver, which increased to 71.6% after supplementation (1.13 ± 0.43 to 1.29 ± 0.46 μmol/g; P < 0.001). Total serum VA as retinyl esters was elevated in 4.8% and 6.1% of children before and after supplementation. The odds of having hypervitaminosis A at baseline were higher in children consuming liver ≥1/mo (ratio 3.70 [95% CI: 1.08, 12.6]) and in children receiving 2 (4.28 [1.03, 17.9]) or 3 (6.45 [0.64, 65.41]) supplements in the past 12 mo. Total body stores decreased after the supplement in children in the highest quartile at baseline compared with children with lower stores, who showed an increase (P = 0.007). Conclusions In children, such as this cohort in South Africa, with adequate VA intake through diet, and overlapping VA fortification and supplementation, preschool VA capsule distribution should be re-evaluated. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02915731 as NCT02915731.

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The Value of a Nutritionally Enhanced Staple Crop: Results from a Choice Experiment Conducted with Orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes in Mozambique

Journal of African Economies ◽

10.1093/jae/ejq007 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 536-558 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

A. T. A. Naico ◽

J. L. Lusk

Keyword(s):

Choice Experiment ◽

Sweet Potatoes ◽

Staple Crop ◽

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes

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The effects of maternal and infant vitamin A supplementation on vitamin A status: a randomised trial in Kenya

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114507705019 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 98 (2) ◽

pp. 422-430 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

R. A. Ayah ◽

D. L. Mwaniki ◽

P. Magnussen ◽

A. E. Tedstone ◽

T. Marshall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin A ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Randomised Trial ◽

Maternal Serum ◽

High Dose ◽

Serum Retinol ◽

Double Blind ◽

Vitamin A Supplementation ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Vitamin A Status

Postpartum vitamin A supplementation of mothers and infants is recommended, but the efficacy has been questioned. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Kenyan mother–infant pairs were randomised to maternal vitamin A (400 000 IU) or placebo < 24 h postpartum, and infant vitamin A (100 000 IU) or placebo at 14 weeks. Milk retinol was determined at weeks 4, 14 and 26, and maternal and infant serum retinol at weeks 14 and 26. Infant retinol stores were assessed at week 26, using a modified relative dose response (MRDR) test. Among 564 women, serum retinol at 36 weeks gestation was 0·81 (sd 0·21) μmol/l, and 33·3 % were < 0·7 μmol/l. Maternal serum retinol was not different between groups, but milk retinol was higher in the vitamin A group: (0·67 v. 0·60 μmol/l; 0·52 v. 0·44 μmol/l; 0·50 v. 0·44 μmol/l at 4, 14 and 26 weeks, respectively). When expressed per gram fat, milk retinol was higher in the vitamin A group only at 4 weeks. Infant serum retinol was not different between groups. However, although most infants had deficient vitamin A stores (MRDR>0·06 %) at 26 weeks, vitamin A to infants, but not mothers, resulted in a lower proportion of infants with deficient vitamin A stores (69 v. 78 %). High-dose postpartum vitamin A supplementation failed to increase serum retinol and infant stores, despite modest effects on milk retinol. Infant supplementation, however, increased stores. There is a need for a better understanding of factors affecting absorption and metabolism of vitamin A.

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