van Stuijvenberg M E, Faber M, Dhansay M A, Lombard C J, Vorster N, Benadé A J
National Research Programme for Nutritional Intervention, Medical Research Council, Parow, South Africa.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2000;51 Suppl:S43-50. doi: 10.1080/096374800750049567.
The effect of a biscuit with red palm oil as a source of beta-carotene was compared with the effect of a biscuit with beta-carotene from a synthetic source on the vitamin A status of primary school children in a randomised controlled trial. Children aged 5-11 years (n = 265) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) placebo biscuit; (2) biscuit with synthetic beta-carotene as a vitamin A fortificant; and (3) biscuit with red palm oil as a source of beta-carotene. The two non-placebo biscuits were designed to provide 34% of the RDA for vitamin A per serving (4 x 15 g biscuits). The biscuits were distributed daily during the school week and compliance was closely monitored and recorded. Children were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of intervention. Mean serum retinol in all three groups increased significantly compared to baseline (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of low serum retinol levels (< 20 micrograms/dL) dropped from 50 to 24.4% in the control group, from 48.2 to 16.9% in the synthetic beta-carotene group, and from 50.6 to 22.8% in the red palm oil group. There was no significant treatment effect compared to the control group in either the synthetic beta-carotene or red palm oil group. The increase in the control group was probably due to a school feeding scheme (providing 33% of the RDA for vitamin A) introduced during the latter part of the study. Our results were thus confounded and the 'true' effect of the red palm oil biscuit on vitamin A status could not be established. The study has, however, shown that red palm oil can be incorporated in a biscuit and that the end product with regard to taste and appearance was well accepted by the school children. A follow-up study in a school where there is no school feeding is indicated.
在一项随机对照试验中，比较了以红棕榈油作为β-胡萝卜素来源的饼干与以合成来源的β-胡萝卜素的饼干对小学生维生素A状况的影响。5至11岁的儿童（n = 265）被随机分配到三组中的一组：（1）安慰剂饼干；（2）以合成β-胡萝卜素作为维生素A强化剂的饼干；（3）以红棕榈油作为β-胡萝卜素来源的饼干。两种非安慰剂饼干的设计目的是每份（4块15克的饼干）提供维生素A推荐膳食摄入量（RDA）的34%。饼干在上学周每天分发，对依从性进行密切监测和记录。在基线时以及干预6个月后对儿童进行评估。与基线相比，所有三组的平均血清视黄醇均显著增加（P < 0.0001）。血清视黄醇水平低（< 20微克/分升）的患病率在对照组中从50%降至24.4%，在合成β-胡萝卜素组中从48.2%降至16.9%，在红棕榈油组中从50.6%降至22.8%。与对照组相比，合成β-胡萝卜素组或红棕榈油组均无显著治疗效果。对照组的增加可能是由于在研究后期引入了一项学校供餐计划（提供维生素A推荐膳食摄入量的33%）。因此，我们的结果受到了混淆，无法确定红棕榈油饼干对维生素A状况的“真实”影响。然而，该研究表明红棕榈油可以添加到饼干中，并且最终产品在味道和外观方面都很受小学生欢迎。建议在没有学校供餐的学校进行后续研究。
