Therefore , vitamin A supplementation alone may reduce the risk of anemia , by improving hemoglobin and ferritin levels in individuals with low serum retinol levels
ABSTRACT Anemia is a worldwide public health problem that can be related to many causes , including vitamin A deficiency .
The aim of this study was to assess and estimate the effect of vitamin A supplementation ( VAS ) on iron status biomarkers and anemia in humans .
Recovery from impaired dark adaptation in nightblind pregnant Nepali women who receive small daily doses of vitamin A as amaranth leaves, carrots, goat liver, vitamin A-fortified rice, or retinyl palmitate.
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 r and omly assigned to 1 of 6 treatment groups to receive 6 d/wk for 6 wk either 850 microg retinol equivalents/d as retinyl palmitate , vitamin A-fortified rice , goat liver , amaranth leaves , or carrots or 2000 microg 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 micromol/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
Therefore , vitamin A supplementation alone may reduce the risk of anemia , by improving hemoglobin and ferritin levels in individuals with low serum retinol levels
ABSTRACT Anemia is a worldwide public health problem that can be related to many causes , including vitamin A deficiency .
The aim of this study was to assess and estimate the effect of vitamin A supplementation ( VAS ) on iron status biomarkers and anemia in humans .