[Vegetables rich in carotenoids on the vitamin A status of children]

Vitamin A (VA) deficiency is still an important nutritional problem in our country. In order to determine whether plant carotenoids ingestion can improve VA nutrition, a study by using yellow and dark green vegetables was conducted in two classes of a kindergarten for ten weeks in September through December in 1996. The VA nutritional status was marginal to adequate among 41 children (5.3-6.6 year-old), and serum retinols in 39% of these children were below 0.30 mg/L. Each child in class A was provided with about 238 g/d of green and yellow vegetables (spinach, Chinese chive, carrots, and red yams) and 34 g/d of light colored vegetables (cabbage, Chinese cabbage, potato, cucumber, turnip and winter melon). Each child in class B consumed the usual diet with only 56 g/d of green and yellow vegetables and 193 g/d of light colored vegetables. Serum retinol concentration collected before and after the intervention were used to assess VA nutritional status. The results showed that vitamin A nutrition was improved by increasing the intake of green and yellow vegetables. Serum retinol was sustained in the group fed green and yellow vegetables and decreased in the group fed light colored vegetables. Thus, dietary green and yellow vegetables could provide adequate VA nutrition in these children.