Vitamin A reserves of Canadians

-A survey of vitamin A and carotene stores of Canadians at five major centres across Canada was completed. Vitamin A and carotene analyses were performed on approximately 100 human liver specimens obtained at necropsy from each location.Age influenced liver vitamin A stores. Children between 1 and 10 years of age had the highest vitamin A stores while a trend toward lower liver stores occurred between 20 and 40 years of age. Females had higher liver carotene stores than males but there was no such difference in vitamin A stores.SUBJECTS FROM ALL LOCATIONS WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO CAUSE OF DEATH: accidental, heart and coronary artery diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and a miscellaneous disease group. The mean liver vitamin A and carotene stores of the accidental death group differed only from the cancer group. In contrast to the disease groups, no case with undetectable vitamin A was found in the accidental death group.The mean vitamin A and carotene stores of Vancouver subjects were generally higher than those for the other locations. Montreal showed more values in the 0-40 mug. per g. range than the other locations. Vancouver had the least number (15%), with Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg being intermediate (32%). These data suggest the need for improved nutrition, prophylactic treatment in disease states and the need for further research on the utilization and metabolism of vitamin A.