Two groups of children aged 5 to 8 months having the same socioeconomic condition, their mothers have been attended in the courses of nutrition communication and education, one group (control group) was fed with home-made powder, the other group (intervention group) was fed with a meal of high micronutrient and energy dense powder per day, for 6 months. The results showed that after intervention, concentration of Hb, ferritin, serum zinc and retinol of intervention children were significantly higher than those of the control group. Prevalence of anemia, exhausted iron storage, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies of intervention group significantly lower those of control group. Body length and height for age z-score (HAZ) of the intervention group were significantly higher than length and HAZ of the control group. 6 months follow-up after intervention cessation revealed that the HAZ and Hb of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group, respectively. High micronutrient and energy dense powder may improve micronutrient deficiency and nutritional status of intervention children
malnutrition ; child ; Micronutrients ; deficiency

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of vitamin A, vitamin A plus iron and "7 + 1" multiple micronutrient-fortified seasoning powder on iron metabolic homeostasis in preschool children.

METHODSThis was a randomized, controlled and blinded interventional field trial. A total of 226 2 - 7 years old preschool children were recruited from three nurseries in the area, and they were randomly assigned into three different fortified diet groups for 6 months. The subjects in Group I were fortified with vitamin A; those in Group II and III were fortified with vitamin A plus iron and vitamin A plus iron, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, niacinamide, zinc and calcium (7 + 1), respectively. The concentration of serum vitamin A was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), serum ferritin (SF) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) was measured by microparticle-enhanced, and hemoglobin (HB) by hemiglobincyanide, the sTfR-SF index (TFR-F index) and total body iron content were computed respectively before and after intervention. Simultaneously, children's demographic data, socio-economic status and eating habits, etc. were investigated by questionnaires.

RESULTSA total of 226 preschool children were included in the study with age ranged from 2 to 7 years with average age (4.0 ± 0.85) (means ± standard deviation). The prevalence of anemia, deficient iron storage, vitamin A deficiency (VAD) and suspect sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency (SSVAD) were 23.5%, 15.0%, 6.3% and 25.9%, respectively. The levels of SF and sTfR significantly decreased after intervention in all groups (χ(2) = 8.3298, χ(2) = 16.1471, χ(2) = 15.1371, χ(2) = 15.1171, χ(2) = 5.2617, χ(2) = 4.8844, P < 0.05) especially in group II and group III for SF (χ(2) = 16.1471, χ(2) = 15.1371, P < 0.05) and group I for sTfR (χ(2) = 15.1171, P < 0.05). No marked change of TFR-F index and total body iron contents was observed in group I (t = 0.1817, t = 1.7736, P > 0.05), while TFR-F index decreased and total body iron contents increased in group II and group III (t = 5.3561, t = 6.5979, t = 11.1663, t = 8.7306, P < 0.05) after intervention.

CONCLUSIONVitamin A intervention has significant effect on iron storage and mobilization but seldom effect on iron absorption in small intestine. The combination of vitamin A and other micronutrients might be a better intervention for the improvement of iron deficiency for preschool-children.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; prevention & control ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Food, Fortified ; Humans ; Iron ; deficiency ; metabolism ; Male ; Micronutrients ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin A ; therapeutic use

With the step-up of the aging process, the increase of old population and the advance of living standard, China has already entered into the aged society. Problems on the health and life quality of the aging male have been receiving more and more attention from scientific researchers. Partial androgen deficiency in the aging male (PADAM) is a kind of syndrome which affects the aging male s health. At present, testosterone supplementation therapy is mostly used to improve the symptoms of PADAM, but it may bring some adverse effects, such as erythrocytosis and hyperplasia and carcinoma of the prostate. Some studies have shown that quite a few nutrients, especially vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and selenium are favorably related to androgen deficiency and sperm production. This article discussed the effects of micronutrients on PADAM.
Aged ; Androgens ; deficiency ; Deficiency Diseases ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Micronutrients ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Selenium ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin A ; therapeutic use ; Vitamin E ; therapeutic use ; Zinc ; therapeutic use

Deficiency Diseases ; blood ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Genotyping Techniques ; Humans ; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques ; Micronutrients ; deficiency ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Precision Medicine ; methods ; Risk Assessment

Micronutrient deficiencies in Crohn's disease (CD) patients are not uncommon and usually result in a combination of reduced dietary intake, disease-related malabsorption, and a catabolic state. Decreased serum thiamine levels are often reported in patients with CD. Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a severe form of thiamine deficiency that can cause serious neurologic complications. Although WE is known to occur frequently in alcoholics, a number of non-alcoholic causes have also been reported. Here, we report two cases of non-alcoholic WE that developed in two severely malnourished CD patients who were supported by prolonged total parenteral nutrition without thiamine supplementation. These patients complained of sudden-onset ophthalmopathy, cerebellar dysfunction, and confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging allowed definitive diagnosis for WE despite poor sensitivity. The intravenous administration of thiamine alleviated the symptoms of WE dramatically. We emphasize the importance of thiamine supplementation for malnourished patients even if they are not alcoholics, especially in those with CD.
Administration, Intravenous ; Alcoholics ; Cerebellar Diseases ; Crohn Disease* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Micronutrients ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total* ; Thiamine ; Thiamine Deficiency ; Wernicke Encephalopathy*

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Studies on the micronutrient status of Asian patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are scarce. We evaluated the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency and verified the risk factors for micronutrient deficiency in Korean patients with IBD. METHODS: We measured the serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25-(OH)D], zinc, and selenium to analyze the clinical risk factors for micronutrient levels below the reference values. In addition, we compared the 25-(OH)D levels of patients with IBD to those of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Among the 83 patients, 74 (89.2%) had suboptimal serum 25-(OH)D levels. The mean plasma 25-(OH)D level in patients with IBD was significantly reduced compared to that of the healthy controls (12.3±6.2 ng/mL vs 20.0±6.7 ng/mL; p<0.001). The proportions of patients with lower serum zinc and selenium levels were 39.0% and 30.9%, respectively. Female sex (p=0.012) and Crohn’s disease (p=0.012) were associated with vitamin D deficiency. Patients younger than 40 years were at increased risk for zinc deficiency (p=0.045). Female sex (p=0.015) and low serum albumin level (<3.3 g/dL) (p=0.047) were risk factors for selenium deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Many Korean patients with IBD have vitamin D, zinc, and selenium deficiencies, suggesting the necessity for monitoring levels of these micronutrients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Calcifediol ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Micronutrients ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Risk Factors* ; Selenium* ; Serum Albumin ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins* ; Zinc*

BACKGROUND: It has been known that vitamin D level (serum 25[OH]D) has correlation with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The purpose of this study is to investigate changes of serum 25[OH]D in pediatric IBD patients according to the disease activity. METHODS: A total of 96 children and adolescent with IBD were enrolled in this retrospective study. Serologic inflammatory markers and clinical disease activity scores of the patients were collected, and their correlations with serum 25[OH]D were analyzed. Seasonal variations of serum 25[OH]D were also investigated both in active disease state and remission state. RESULTS: Of the 96 patients, 41 (43%) were women and patients with a vitamin D deficiency (< 20 ng/mL) at diagnosis were 77 (80.2%). There was no significant difference between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis for serum 25[OH]D. Serum 25[OH]D was higher in remission group than in active disease group (12.4 [8.8–29] ng/mL vs. 17.9 [12.3–34.4] ng/mL; P < 0.001) and the difference was more significant than other micronutrients. There was no significant difference in serum 25[OH]D concentration between patients with ileal involvement and patients without ileal involvement. There were seasonal variations in the active phase, but there was no significant difference by season in the remission phase. CONCLUSION: Serum 25[OH]D is inversely correlated with disease activity in IBD. Monitoring and supplementation is required especially for active disease status and in winter and spring season.
Adolescent ; Child ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Crohn Disease ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Micronutrients ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamin D ; Vitamins

PURPOSE: Coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) are the most important complications of Kawasaki disease (KD). Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a prevalent micronutrient deficiency and its association with KD remains unknown. We hypothesized that presence of IDA could be a predictor of CAA. METHODS: This retrospective study included 173 KD patients, divided into 2 groups according to absence (group 1) and presence (group 2) of CAA. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a logistic regression model to estimate the association between CAA and other indicators. Due to collinearity between indicators of IDA, each indicator was paired with anemia in 3 models. RESULTS: Serum iron, iron saturation, and ferritin concentration, the 3 indicators of IDA, were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. Three sets of models including anemia with iron indicators produced the OR of CAA of 3.513, 3.171, and 2.256, respectively. The 3 indicators of IDA were negatively associated with CAA, by OR of 0.965, 0.914, and 0.944, respectively. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of ferritin concentration, iron saturation, serum iron, anemia, and Kobayashi score were 0.907 (95% CI, 0.851–0.963), 0.729 (95% CI, 0.648–0.810), 0.711 (95% CI, 0.629–0.793), 0.638 (95% CI, 0.545–0.731), and 0.563 (95% CI, 0.489–0.636), respectively. CONCLUSION: Indicators of IDA, especially ferritin, were highly associated with CAA; therefore, they were stronger predictors of CAA than Kobayashi scores. IDA indicators can be used to predict CAA development and to suggest requirements for early interventions.
Anemia ; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency ; Coronary Vessels ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron ; Logistic Models ; Micronutrients ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Odds Ratio ; Retrospective Studies

Objective: Nutrition is closely related to the health of the elderly population. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive picture of the nutrition status of elderly Chinese and its related dietary, geographical, and socioeconomic factors. Methods: A total of 13,987 ≥ 60-year-old persons from the 2010-2013 Chinese National Nutrition and Health Survey were included to evaluate various aspects of malnutrition, including underweight, overweight or obesity, and micronutrient inadequacy. Results: Overall, the prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight was 12.4%, 34.8%, and 5.7%, respectively, with disparities both geographically and socioeconomically. The prevalence of underweight was higher among the older old (≥ 75 years), rural residents and those with low income, with low education status, and residing in undeveloped West areas. More than 75% of the elderly do not meet the Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamins A, B Conclusions Obesity epidemic, inadequacy of micronutrient intake, and high prevalence of underweight and anemia in susceptible older people are the major nutrition challenges for the rapidly aging population in China.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diet/statistics & numerical data* ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Malnutrition/etiology* ; Micronutrients/deficiency* ; Middle Aged ; Nutritional Status ; Overweight/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Thinness/etiology*

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of a 3 week low calorie diet (LCD) and a 9 week of behavior modification (BM) program on the weight loss, mineral and vitamin status in 22 obese women. The subject were healthy, obese (PIBW > 120%) women aged 20 - 50 Yr and not taking any medications known to influence body composition, mineral or vitamin metabolism During the LCD program, subjects were provided commercial liquid formulas with 125 kcal per pack and were instructed to have a formula for replacement of one meal and at least one regular meal per day within the range of daily 800 - 1200 kcal intake. During the BM program the subjects weekly attended the group nutrition counseling session to encourage themselves to modify their eating behavior and spontaneously restrict their energy intakes. The BM program focused on stimulus control, control of portion sizes and modification of binge eating and other adverse habits. The initial mean energy intake of subjects was 2016.9 +/- 129.8 kcal (100.8% of RDA) and dropped to 1276.5 +/- 435.7 kcal at the end of a 3 week of LCD program and elevated to 1762 +/- 329.3 kcal at the end of a 9 week of BM program. Carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes were significantly decreased at the end of the LCD but carbohydrate was the only macro nutrient that showed significant decrease (p < 0.05) at the end of the BM program compared to baseline. Calcium and iron intakes decreased significantly (p < 0.01, respectively) with no significant changes in other micronutrients at the end of the LCD. The mean weight of the subjects decreased from 73.8 +/- 8.0 kg to 69.2 +/- 7.7 kg with LCD and ended up with 67.7 +/- 7.1 kg after 9 weeks of BM. The 3 weeks of LCD reduced most of the anthropometric indices such as BMI, PIBW, fat weight, wast-to-hip ratio and subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness. The 9 weeks of behavior modification showed slight change or maintenance of each anthropometric measurements. Weight loss and decreased WHR with the diet program induced significantly decreased systolic blood pressure. SGOT, SGPT and serum insulin levels with improved serum lipid profiles. Biochemical parameters related to iron status such as hemoglobin, hematocrit were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) at the end of the LCD. But their mean values were within normal range. The mean serum 25 (OH) vitamin D3 level significantly increased after whole diet program. Serum folate level significantly decreased after 12 weeks of diet program. In conclusion 3 weeks of LCD brought 4.6 kg reduction in body weight without risk of iron, zinc or vitamin D deficiency and 9 weeks of the BM was effective to maintain nutritional status with slightly more weight reduction (1.5 kg). However calcium intake and serum folate should be monitored during the LCD and BM because of increased risk of deficiencies..
Alanine Transaminase ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; Behavior Therapy* ; Blood Pressure ; Body Composition ; Body Weight ; Bulimia ; Calcium ; Caloric Restriction* ; Cholecalciferol ; Counseling ; Diet ; Energy Intake ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Folic Acid ; Hematocrit ; Humans ; Insulin ; Iron ; Meals ; Metabolism ; Micronutrients ; Nutritional Status* ; Portion Size ; Reference Values ; Skinfold Thickness ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Vitamins ; Weight Loss ; Zinc