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Nutrition in the Australian Aborigines—Effects of the fortification of white flour
Author(s) -
Kamien M.,
Woodhill Joan M.,
Nobile Silvia,
Cameron Pat,
Rosevear Pam
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0004-8291
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1975.tb03640.x
Subject(s) - medicine , niacin , riboflavin , fortification , vitamin , iron deficiency , physiology , vitamin a deficiency , population , b vitamins , scurvy , vitamin c , anemia , retinol , food science , environmental health , biology
Summary: The nutritional status of 66 part Aborigines was re‐examined in 1974—with particular reference to blood levels of haemoglobin and vitamins—after white bread fortified with iron and the vitamins B 1 and PP (niacin) had been available for six and a half months to the population of Bourke, New South Wales. The results found in 1971 and 1974 are compared. A significant improvement from deficient to acceptable blood levels of vitamins B 1 and B 6 was found in 44% and 52% of the subjects respectively. This is attributed to the consumption of fortified bread since the levels of the other vitamins had remained either unchanged or worsened. The biochemical improvement in vitamin B 6 is attributed to the sparing effect of vitamin PP on vitamin B 6 requirement because the conversion of tryptophan to niacin is impaired in vitamin B 6 deficiency. Iron deficiency anaemia in children had decreased by 50% but this could have been due to many other factors besides the iron which had been added to the bread. Clinically there was a marked decrease in angular stomatitis and skin xerosis which could be related to the biochemical improvement of the two B‐vitamins and a decrease in active trachoma and suppurative otitis media probably due to intensive treatment received since 1971. The results of this study and the extent of biochemical vitamin B 1 and B 6 deficiency found in other groups, indicate that fortification of bread may be of benefit to the community as a whole.