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Malaria is associated with decreased nutrient intake in Zambian children fed provitamin A biofortified maize
Author(s) -
Bresnahan Kara,
Chileshe Justin,
Tanumiharjo Sherry
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.638.23
Subject(s) - biofortification , malaria , nutrient , orange (colour) , biology , medicine , malnutrition , environmental health , microbiology and biotechnology , micronutrient , toxicology , zoology , food science , ecology , immunology , pathology
Vitamin A (VA) supplementation improves VA status and protects against malarial infection. Provitamin A biofortified staple crops may provide a more sustainable approach to alleviate VA deficiency, but the impact of febrile illness on food intake must be considered in malaria endemic regions. Morbidity data and food logs from a 3‐mo efficacy trial on provitamin A biofortified (orange) maize in Zambian children (n = 189) were systematically analyzed overtime to determine the impact of malaria on food intake. Nutrients examined included macronutrients, iron, zinc, and VA. t‐Test comparisons based on individual intakes in healthy and malarial states over 3‐d intervals were made within and between orange (n = 30) and white maize (n = 30) groups. Malaria prevalence did not differ overall, or between treatment groups over time (all P >; 0.05). No differences were observed between nutrient decreases in orange and white maize groups (P >; 0.05). Lower nutrient intakes were observed for all variables during malaria outbreaks (food 301 ± 441 g; calories 257 ± 367; carbohydrate 45 ± 67 g; protein 8 ± 13 g; fat 6 ± 8 g; iron 1 ±2 mg; zinc 1 ±1 mg; VA 65 ± 104 RAE; all P < 0.05). Considering the impact of malaria on food and nutrient intake and increased VA utilization and excretion due to the acute phase response, biofortification targets may need to be elevated in endemic regions. Funded by Global Health and HarvestPlus.