Short-term, Daily Supplementation with Vitamin A, But Not Beta-carotene, Increases Plasma and Breast Milk Retinol Concentration in Lactating Filipino Women.

Objective: To assess the usefulness of breast milk vitamin A (BMVA) for evaluating the impact of food-based vitamin A (VA) interventions. Methods: We assessed the effect of daily supplementation with 600 ug VA activity as either retinyl palmitate or β-carotene (BC) or 0 ug VA activity as corn oil (CO) on BMVA and BC concentrations in lactating women (n=83) who were randomly assigned to receive one of the three treatments, 6 d/wk for 3 wk. Treatments were administered as capsules (containing either 300 ug or 0 ug VA ), 2 times/d, with morning and noon meals consisting of low VA foods. Plasma and milk concentrations of VA and BC were measured before and after the intervention. Results: Initial mean plasma retinol concentration was 1.29±0.41 umol/L, and the mean change in plasma retinol was greater in the VA group than in the BC and CO groups (0.13, 0.03, -0.04 umol/L, respectively, P<0.01). Initial mean BMVA was 28.0±14.6 nmol/g fat, and the mean change in BMVA was greater in the VA group than in the BC and CO groups (4.6, 0.5, -3.6 nmol/g fat, respectively, P<0.001). Initial plasma BC concentration was 0.33±0.22 umol/L, and the mean change in plasma BC was greater in the BC group than in the VA and CO groups (0.74, 0.02, 0.07 umol/L, respectively, P<0.0001). Conclusions: Both BMVA and plasma retinol concentrations increased in response to supplementation with retinyl palmitate, but bioconversion of BC to VA is limited in this population.

Relación entre lípidos plasmáticos y vitaminas liposolubles en anciano peri-urbanos de Guatemala / Relationship between plasma lipids and fat soluble vitamins levels among Guatemalan periurban elderly

Se investigó el nivel de lípidos y vitaminas liposolubles así como su correlación en el plasma de 107 ancianos (29 por ciento de sexo masculino y 71 por ciento femenino) procedentes de "Guajitos", comunidad periurbana de Guatemala. Las edades oscilaron entre 60 a 103 años (promedio:69 ñ 8). Los promedios de niveles plasmáticos fueron: colesterol: 220 ñ42(128 a 428) mg/dl; trigliceridos: 189 ñ92 54 a 513) mg/dl; retinol 50 ñ 16 (4.5 a 103) mg/dl, B-carotenos: 17 ñ 12 (12-60) µg/dl, y tocoferol: 1.32 ñ 36 (0.54 a 2.46) mg/dl. Se encontró correlación significativa entre colesterol y retinol, colesterol y tocoferol, triglicéridos y retinol, triglicéridos y tocoferol en ambos sexos, así como entre colesterol y ß-carotenos en las mujeres. No se encontró correlación entre colesterol y ß-carotenos en hombres, ni entre triglicéridos y ß-carotenos en ambos sexos