RESUMO
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.
RESUMO
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