Asia
Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume 7, issue 2,
1998
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Contents
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Abstract |
Paper
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Food and
nutrition policy development.
Ian Darnton-Hill, Chizuru Nishida, Annette de Boer, Petri Volmanen
and L Tommaso Cavalli-Sforza
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):103.
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Improving
trend of growth of Asian refugee children in the USA: Evidence
to support the importance of environmental factors on growth.
Zuguo Mei, Ray Yip and Frederick Trowbridge
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):111-116.
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Food
intake patterns in urban Beijing Chinese.
Ping Fu, Hua Zhang, Susan M Siew, Shu-qin Wang, Anna Xue, Bridget
H-H Hsu-Hage, Mark L Wahlqvist, Yu-feng Wang and Xue-xia Li
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):117-122.
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Use of iodized salt in processed Philippine food products.
P Azanza, K Cariaso, MC dela Cerna, C de Ocampo, F Galvez, M Moises
and K Pujanes
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):123-127.
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Iodine
content of salt in Lae city of Papua New Guinea.
Betty Amoa, Therese Pikire and Peter Tine
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):128-130.
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Evaluation
and monitoring of iodine deficiency disorders in school children
in north-east Thailand.
Praneet
Pongpaew, Rungsunn Tungtrongchitr, Venus Supawan, Niyomsri Vudhivai,
Pattara Sanchaisuriya, Chalor Intarakhao, Udomsak Mahaweerawat,
Benjaluck Phonrat, Pisit Jotking, Wongsa Kongdee, Frank Peter
Schelp, and Sastri Saowakhontha
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):131-137.
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The
supplementation of levothyroxine among indigenous people in endemic
goitre areas: The impact of therapy.
MI
Zaleha, A Osman, ZA Iskandar, S Sazali, M Muhammad Ali, I Roslan
and BAK Khalid
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):138-150.
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Hair
zinc and copper in Indonesian infants.
PW Kolsteren, Sri Kardjati, P Traissac and P Goyens
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):151-159.
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Relationship
of conjunctival impression cytology with clinical and biochemical
assessment of vitamin A status of preschoolers.
CC
Tanchoco, MP Rodriguez, E Olivar-Santos, FV Velandria and JA Magbitang
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):160-163.
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Anemia
and hypoalbuminia as an adjunct to soil-transmitted helminthiasis
among slum school children in Visakhapatnam, South India.
NR Nallam, I Paul and G Gnanamani
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):164-169.
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Improvements
of growth, appetite, and physical activity in helminth-infected
schoolboys 6 months after single dose of albendazole.
V
Hadju, LS Stephenson, HO Mohammed, DD Bowman and RS Parker
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):170-176.
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Salmonella
antigen induces differential bone marrow cytokine secretion in
control and malnourished rats.
Debasis Ghosal, Sarmistha Dutta and Prantosh Bhattacharyya
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):177-181.
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Cross-cultural
comparison of Lp(a) profiles.
ZW Xiong, ML Wahlqvist, B Biegler, NDH Balazs, P Van Buynder,
W Lukito, B H-H Hsu-Hage, N Wattanapenpaiboon and TI Ibiebele
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):182-191.
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The
effects of oral L-carnitine treatment on blood lipid metabolism
and the body fat content in the diabetic patient.
Yiquan Liang, Yanbing Li, Jichuan Shan, Binjie Yu and Zhiquan
Ho
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):192-195.
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The
fatty acid status of rural school children with helminth infections.
HY Tichelaar, CM Smuts, ME van Stuijvenberg, M
Faber and AJS Benadé
Asia
Pac J clin Nutr. 1998;7(2):196-197.
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Food
and nutrition policy development.
Ian Darnton-Hill, Chizuru Nishida, Annette de Boer, Petri Volmanen
and L Tommaso Cavalli-Sforza
t has been
estimated that over 700 million people still do not have enough food
to eat on a daily basis and that more than 2 billion are subsisting
on diets that lack the essential vitamins and minerals required for
normal growth and development and to prevent premature death and disabilites
such as blindness and mental retardation. At the same time, millions
more suffer from chronic diseases caused by excessive and unbalanced
diets. At the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN), held in
Rome in 1992 and sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations
system, 159 nations endorsed a World Declaration that included recognition
of the need for national plans of action for nutrition/national food
and nutrition policies. Specific objectives that the delegates agreed
should be achieved were a reinforcement of earlier goals agreed to
at the World Summit for Children 1990. Political will is an essential
prerequisite for successful national food and nutrition policies and
plans. These must also be realistic, well-conceived and effective
at all levels, especially where devolution is taking place. Over the
last two decades there has been an evolution in the issues that policies
address, as well as changes in the expectations of them. Virtually
all countries have agreed to 'establish appropriate national mechanisms
to prioritize, develop, implement and monitor policies and plans to
improve nutrition within designated time-frames, based on national
and local needs, and to provide appropriate funds for their functioning'.
Worldwide, over 120 member states of the United Nations (UN) have
finalized, strengthened or have under way, national plans of action
for nutrition. The policy decisions being made in order to implement
more of these plans over the remainder of the decade and beyond, are
already providing invaluable experience and data. Evaluation should
provide even more in the future.
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Improving
trend of growth of Asian refugee children in the USA: Evidence to
support the importance of environmental factors on growth
Zuguo Mei, Ray Yip and Frederick Trowbridge
In
order to better define the trends and patterns of growth for children
of Asian refugee families residing in the USA, we studied the anthropometric
data from 12 states collected by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS)
from 1979 to 1993. The Asian refugee children under 5 years of age
showed a progressive and significant decline in the prevalence of
low height-for-age and low weight-for-age, while those nutritional
indices remained stable for low income white children and black children.
By 1993, the growth status of Asian refugee children was comparable
with that of other ethnic groups. This marked improvement over a short
period strongly suggests that the poor growth status earlier observed
among recently immigrated Asian children was due to nutritional and
health factors related to socioeconomic conditions, rather than to
genetic factors, as is often suggested. Detailed analysis of each
birth cohort born at different time periods found that low anthropometry
during infancy is a strong predicator of smaller body size later in
childhood.
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Food
intake patterns in urban Beijing Chinese
Ping Fu, Hua Zhang, Susan M Siew, Shu-qin Wang, Anna Xue, Bridget
H-H Hsu-Hage, Mark L Wahlqvist, Yu-feng Wang and Xue-xia Li
This
study investigated the food consumption patterns of 430 Beijing Chinese
adults and assessed the impact on these patterns of the following
socio-demographic characteristics: gender, age, educational achievement,
and gross household income. Food intake by category, food variety
and meal patterns were assessed using a 156-item food frequency questionnaire.
It was found that gender and age were the most important factors to
influence food consumption patterns. Men consumed more wheat products,
red meat and tea, whereas women consumed more vegetables, fruit, nuts,
fish, eggs and milk. Women also tended to consume a wider variety
of food than did men. Furthermore, it was found that younger and more
educated people tended to consume a wider variety of food. Age also
had an important influence on the food intake. Younger and generally
more educated adults tended to consume foods associated with affluence:
meats, soft drinks and beer, while the older population tended to
consume more vegetables (women only), milk and tea in their diets.
Because education is closely correlated with age in this Beijing Chinese
population, it appeared to have little effect on the food intake patterns,
after adjusting for age. The older members of this population, who
probably have a decreased functional reserve of nutrients, and the
less educated, appeared not to be taking advantage of the availability
of a wide variety of food, further increasing the risk of nutrient
deficiency. On the other hand, the younger and more educated, who
tended to consume a wide variety of foods, were more likely to maintain
adequate nutritional standards. However, their tendency to consume
food associated with affluence, such as meat and beer, may point toward
an increased risk of those diseases prevalent in affluent societies,
such as obesity, diabeties, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers
and osteoporosis. Ongoing nutrition surveillance and appropriate nutrition
education will be required increasingly for Beijing Chinese and similar
communities.
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Use
of iodized salt in processed Philippine food products.
P Azanza, K Cariaso, MC dela Cerna, C de Ocampo, F Galvez, M Moises
and K Pujanes
The effects of iodized salt use on the quality of processed Philippine
food products were evaluated. Samples for the study included dried-salted
and smoked fish products, nitrite-cured pork, and fermented plain
and flavored shrimp pastes. Generally, no significant differences
were detected between the physicochemical, microbiological and sensory
characteristics of the test products prepared with iodized and unfortified
NaCl salts. The salting process in each food operation significantly
increased the iodine content of the test products. However, subsequent
losses in the absorbed iodine were recorded due to the boiling, smoking,
drying, fermenting and heating processes in the different operations.
It was recommended that studies be undertaken on the addition of iodine
to semi-processed or completely processed food products to lessen
iodine losses.
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Iodine
content of salt in Lae city of Papua New Guinea.
Betty Amoa, Therese Pikire and Peter Tine
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is among those areas of the world where soils
lack iodine. Iodine deficiency leads to a number of disorders including
goitre and cretinism. The PNG government has chosen to promote the
consumption of adequately iodised salt as one of its intervention
programmes to eradicate the iodine deficiency disorders. A study was
undertaken to assess the iodine content of salt in the distribution
chain in Lae, as well as to assess the per capita salt consumption
in the city. It was found that the average salt consumption was 6.59
g/d. However, not all the Lae population were consuming adequately
iodised salt. Only 48% of salt samples from one school were adequately
iodised. The percentage of wholesale salt samples containing more
than the standard 30 p.p.m. iodine increased from 61.5% in 1996 to
90.9% in 1997. The iodine content of the retail samples were 73.5%
and 87.1% in 1996 and 1997, respectively. Stricter, sustained and
systematic monitoring of the quality of iodised salt procured and
distributed in Lae is called for to ensure consumption of adequately
iodised salt.
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Evaluation
and monitoring of iodine deficiency disorders in school children in
north-east Thailand.
Praneet
Pongpaew, Rungsunn Tungtrongchitr, Venus Supawan, Niyomsri Vudhivai,
Pattara Sanchaisuriya, Chalor Intarakhao, Udomsak Mahaweerawat, Benjaluck
Phonrat, Pisit Jotking, Wongsa Kongdee, Frank Peter Schelp, and Sastri
Saowakhontha
The
possibility of improving iodine deficiency disorder (IDD) in school
children in Khon Kaen province was investigated during the period
of 1 year, using an operational research approach. Four schools in
Pupaman and Srichompu districts, namely Ban Khoa Wong, Na Fai Witaya,
Ban Pa Num Tieng and Ban Non Khom, were selected for this study. Ban
Non Khom served as the control school. Different methods were used
for iodine fortification. Iodized salt was used for the children of
the Ban Khoa Wong school, iodized water was used for Na Fai Witaya
school and iodized fish sauce was used for Ban Pa Num Tieng school.
The iodized salt, water and fish sauce were provided with the help
of the school teachers under the supervision and advice of the team
of investigators. Urine iodine excretion as well as palpation of the
thyroid gland and the thyroid hormones T4, T3 and TSH were selected
for monitoring and evaluation. The proportion of children with low
urine iodine excretion, indicated by a cut-off point suggested by
the WHO/ICCIDD/UNICEF working group, decreased during the course of
the project in all schools receiving iodine supplementation as well
as in the control school. However, the decrease was less in the control
school in comparison with the implementation schools. Furthermore,
the goitre rate decreased in all schools under investigation. The
decrease of the goitre rate for the children of the control school
might have been due to the activities of a village health volunteer
from a nearby village who was using iodized salt for IDD control according
to the ongoing national programme initiated by the Ministry of Public
Health. No significant difference in the level of thyroid hormones
was detected before or at the end of the supplementation for either
the experimental schools or the control school. The results from the
determination of thyroid hormone serum levels could not be used for
assessing the outcome of the project. The measuring of urinary iodine
excretion might be helpful in monitoring the iodine intake during
the intervention phase. Long-term effects of iodine fortification
could be seen best by the declining proportion of children with goitre.
However, an observation of 1 year might not have been enough to clearly
see the outcome of the project. The other possible contributing error
to this study is intra-observer variation of the palpation technique
when the sample size was not big enough. Goitrogens in this area might
be another risk factor for the high prevalence rate of goitre. Further
study in this field should be encouraged. The results of the study
indicate that iodine fortification of salt and fish sauce is more
effective than iodine fortification of drinking water. Due to the
local preference of adding fish sauce (nam pla) instead of salt to
almost all dishes, fish sauce proved to be the best vehicle for iodine
fortification. The success of the project depended heavily on the
understanding and cooperation of the school teachers and the school
children. Major constraints in conducting this project were the insufficient
distribution of iodized salt and potassium iodide solution for the
fortification of drinking water, and the inconsistency of iodide concentration
in the salt after fortification..
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The
supplementation of levothyroxine among indigenous people in endemic
goitre areas: The impact of therapy.
MI
Zaleha, A Osman, ZA Iskandar, S Sazali, M Muhammad Ali, I Roslan and
BAK Khalid
In
order to study the effect of levothyroxine in the treatment of endemic
goitre, a longitudinal study was conducted among the Aborigines in
Lanai Post and Sinderut Post, situated in an iodine-deficient area
located in the district of Kuala Lipis, Pahang. All subjects in the
treatment group (Lanai Post) were given 100 µg of levothyroxine
per day and were followed for 1 1/2 years. A total of 311 subjects
were examined at baseline, 323 on the first, 256 on the second, 239
on the third and 184 on the fourth visit following levothyroxine supplementation.
Goitre prevalence, thyroid hormones, thyroid volume, nutritional status,
urinary iodine levels, arterial blood pressure and mental performance
were determined. Following the intervention, goitre prevalence was
significantly reduced in the treatment group (baseline 42.8% vs final
visit 13.0%, P < 0.0001); however, no significant difference was
noted in the control group. Total T4 levels were increased in the
treatment group (P < 0.0001), while a significant reduction was
noted in the control group (P < 0.0001). Thyroid-stimulating hormone
levels increased significantly in the treatment group following 1
year of intervention, while no significant changes were observed in
the control group. As for the thyroid volume, both groups showed a
significant increment following the intervention (P < 0.0001).
With respect to the nutritional status, the treatment group showed
a significant increase in body weight following the intervention (P
< 0.05). In addition, the mid-arm circumference and body mass index
also increased after 1 year of intervention. However, the control
group showed a reduction in the waisthip ratio (P < 0.0001).
Although there was no statistical difference in the waisthip
ratio in the treatment group, there has been a significant reduction
observed after 1 year of intervention. At 1 year, a reduction in skinfold
thickness was noted in the treatment group while only the triceps
and subscapular were increased in the control group. The body fat
was decreased in the treatment group following 1 year of intervention
(P < 0.0001). No particular trend was noted in the urinary iodine
excretion in the treatment group, but surprisingly, the levels were
increased in the control group (P < 0.0001). A significant increase
in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures was observed in the
treatment group following 1 year of intervention, but the controls
showed a reduction in the systolic blood pressure (P < 0.0001).
Both groups showed a remarkable increase in mental performance, with
a more pronounced effect in the treatment group (P < 0.05). The
correction of iodine deficiency by levothyroxine supplementation has
a short-term beneficial effect in reducing the prevalence of goitre
and improving the mental ability among the Aborigines in endemic areas;
however, proper monitoring and close supervision are needed to maintain
compliance.
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Hair
zinc and copper in Indonesian infants.
PW Kolsteren, Sri Kardjati, P Traissac and P Goyens
The
objective of this study was to determine the zinc and copper status
in hair of a group of Indonesian infants aged 05 months, a period
when growth faltering in this population is known to occur, and to
determine the daily zinc and copper availability in the habitual diet.
A mixed cross-sectional longitudinal design was used. Infants 03
months of age were recruited in two villages on the south coast of
the island of Madura, Indonesia and followed up to the age of 5 months.
All newborns during the study period were included. Hair samples were
collected between the ages of 0 and 5 months at monthly intervals.
Zinc and copper concentrations were determined by flame atomic absorption
spectrophotometry and compared with a sample of Belgian controls,
recruited cross-sectionally. Zinc and copper content of the habitual
diet was calculated on the results of a food intake study previously
performed in the same community. For the 42 Madurese infants recruited,
107 hair zinc and 96 hair copper concentrations were determined. Belgian
infants (15 boys, 15 girls) served as controls. One Madurese infant
died during the study and six moved from the area. Hair zinc concentrations
were found to decrease with age in both populations, while the zinc
and copper values did not differ from the Belgian controls. Hair zinc
values were not correlated with growth performance. The boys had lower
hair zinc values than did the girls. Copper values among the Indonesian
infants did not show a trend over time; however, the Belgian children
showed an increase towards the age of 12 months, although this was
not significant. The mean daily zinc and copper availability in the
habitual diet was less than half of the recommended daily allowance
for adult women. The situation was much worse for lactating women
given that the availability of these elements increased very little.
The hair zinc and copper values indicate that they are not responsible
for the early onset of linear growth retardation. The lower zinc values
in boys might be an indication of a marginal deficiency. The very
low zinc content of the diet consumed in this population could be
an indication of a zinc and copper deficit in the Madurese population,
although this needs to be confirmed.
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Relationship
of conjunctival impression cytology with clinical and biochemical
assessment of vitamin A status of preschoolers.
CC
Tanchoco, MP Rodriguez, E Olivar-Santos, FV Velandria and JA Magbitang
Comparison of conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) with ocular signs
and vitamin A levels was done based upon a national nutrition survey
involving 427 randomly selected subjects aged 6 months to 6 years.
Medical nutritionists looked for ocular signs and performed conjunctival
impressions. Imprints were submitted to the Institute of Ophthalmology,
University of the PhilippinesPhilippines General Hospital, for
analysis. Fixing, staining and reading of all imprints was performed
in accordance with the procedures of the International Centre for
Epidemiologic and Preventive Ophthalmology (ICEPO). Comparison of
the biochemical determination of serum vitamin A (SVA) with CIC results
revealed that irrespective of SVA levels, more than 50% of the subjects
were noted to have abnormal CIC results. The highest proportion of
abnormal imprints was seen among those with low SVA. The relationship,
however, was found not to be significant. Of the 247 subjects examined,
95% had a normal clinical and biochemical assessment of vitamin A;
of these, 50.2% had abnormal cytology imprints while 45.3% had normal
imprints. Using sensitivity and specificity analyses, CIC was compared
with SVA levels. The computed sensitivity, specificity and positive
predictive value (PPV) were 60.5, 45.2 and 60.0%, respectively. The
lack of significant difference in mean serum retinol levels between
normal and abnormal CIC groups may partly explain the low sensitivity
and PPV of the CIC. In this study population, CIC failed to identify
children with subclinical vitamin A deficiency as established by biochemical
examination.
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Anemia
and hypoalbuminia as an adjunct to soil-transmitted helminthiasis
among slum school children in Visakhapatnam, South India.
NR Nallam, I Paul and G Gnanamani
A longitudinal study was conducted over the period
August 1993 to August 1994 on 217 children from a fishing community
of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The subjects were aged between 7
and 13 years. Children were screened for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris
trichiura and hookworm. Intensity of infection was estimated by the
formalin-ether sedimentation technique. Simultaneously, blood samples
ware also collected for estimation of hemoglobin and serum proteins
using standard techniques. Blood parameters and ova count were monitored
both prior to and following treatment with albendazole, administered
at a single oral dose of 400 mg/child in November 1993. Post-treatment
recordings were done at the end of the second, fourth and fifth months
while hemoglobin estimation was also monitored at the ninth month.
Study showed a prevalence of 82% with intestinal helminths and a mean
hemoglobin level of 9.7 g/dL + 1.7 (513 g/dL), with 88% of the
children being anemic. Total serum protein level was normal (8.61
± 1.03 g/dL), with an elevated serum globulin response (4.63
± 0.88). Post-treatment observations showed the complete expulsion
of worms with the significant lowering of globulin levels. However,
moderate anemia persisted in the population with gradual improvement
by the ninth month. Significant increase in weight was not registered
at the end of the fifth month probably coinciding with the rapid establishment
of infection. Sex-wise there was no significant deviation from the
general trend.
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Improvements
of growth, appetite, and physical activity in helminth-infected schoolboys
6 months after single dose of albendazole.
V
Hadju, LS Stephenson, HO Mohammed, DD Bowman and RS Parker
The effect of treatment for helminth infections on growth, appetite,
and physical activity was investigated in Indonesian schoolchildren
with Ascaris and Trichuris infections. Groups of schoolboys were selected
for this substudy from a large study in which two groups received
a single dose of 400 mg albendazole (AL, n = 86) and one group received
an identical placebo (PL, n = 43). All boys were measured for parasitic
infection, growth, appetite, and physical activity at baseline and
6 months after treatment. At baseline, all variables measured were
not significantly different. After 6 months of treatment, the prevalence
of Ascaris and Trichuris infections did not change significantly for
both groups but the intensity of Ascaris and Trichuris infections
significantly reduced in both groups (P < 0.05) except for Trichuris
in the PL group. Increases in mid-arm circumference and height-for-age,
after treatment, in the AL group were significantly greater than in
the PL group (P < 0.05). In addition, appetite scores were higher
in the AL group than in the PL group (P = 0.014). Free play activity,
measured by Caltrac accelerometers, increased by 28% in the AL group
after treatment (P = 0.004) and did not change in the PL group. We
conclude that treatment with a single dose of albendazole may improve
growth, appetite, and activity in areas with a high transmission of
helminth infections.
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Salmonella
antigen induces differential bone marrow cytokine secretion in control
and malnourished rats.
Debasis Ghosal, Sarmistha Dutta and Prantosh Bhattacharyya
Balanced
diet fed (BDF) rats injected with Salmonella typhi 'H' antigen showed
an initial suppression of an immunomodulatory bone marrow cytokine
Frl (BM-Frl) followed by stimulation, whereas the cytokine secretory
pattern showed only stimulation in immunized vitamin B complex malnourished
rats. This nutritional-dependent differential response of a bone marrow
cytokine to antigen is similar to that observed previously in brain
adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) function following immunization.
An improvement in antibody response to S. typhi (P < 0.01) and
neutrophil function (P < 0.05) was observed in cytokine-treated
malnourished immunosuppressed rats further strengthening our previous
observations that BM-Frl modulates both specific and non-specific
immune systems. No significant change was observed in BDF animals
indicating that malnourished rats gain more from cytokine therapy,
whereas a negative feedback system might be present in BDF animals.
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Cross-cultural
comparison of Lp(a) profiles.
ZW Xiong, ML Wahlqvist, B Biegler, NDH Balazs, P Van Buynder, W Lukito,
B H-H Hsu-Hage, N Wattanapenpaiboon and TI Ibiebele
Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) and apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)) phenotypes as
genetic markers for coronary heart disease (CHD) have been the focus
of great interest in recent times. Included in this study were four
Australian populations comprising 348 Anglo-Celtic Melburnians (157
men and 191 women), 339 Chinese Melburnians (169 men and 170 women),
402 South Asian Melburnians (216 men and 186 women) and 394 Aboriginal
Australians from Western Australia (175 men and 219 women). Plasma
Lp(a) concentrations were more highly skewed towards the lower range
in the Chinese and Aboriginal groups than in the Anglo-Celtics and
South Asians. Approximately 33% of Anglo-Celtics, 20% Aboriginals,
13% Chinese and 44% South Asians had plasma Lp(a) levels above the
generally accepted risk threshold values of 300 mg/L. In Aboriginals
and Chinese, the S4 apo(a) phenotype predominated while in Anglo-Celtics
and South Asians, the highest frequency occurred in the S3 phenotype.
In the S4 phenotype, Lp(a) values varied between the four populations
but there was no significant difference in concentration between gender..
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The
effects of oral L-carnitine treatment on blood lipid metabolism and
the body fat content in the diabetic patient.
Yiquan
Liang, Yanbing Li, Jichuan Shan, Binjie Yu and Zhiquan Ho
L-carnitine plays an important role as a factor necessary for the
transport of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria. A random
double blind study was designed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine
treatment (12 weeks, 3 g/d) on lipid metabolism and the fat content
of the body in the patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
The study details 46 patients, randomly assigned into L-carnitine
and placebo groups (23 patients in each group). Patients received
either L-carnitine or placebo for 12 weeks. The results revealed that
L-carnitine had significant effects on reducing the waist to hip ratio
(0.99 ± 0.18 vs 0.95 ± 0.16, P < 0.01), and percentage
of body fat (35.4 ± 7.1% vs 32.9 ± 6.9%, P < 0.01).
It also lowered plasma triglyceride (4.0 ± 1.6 mmol/L vs 2.6
± 1.2 mmol/L, P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes
in body weight, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein
A or apolipoprotein B. These findings suggest that L-carnitine treatment
may promote body fat utilization and result in reduced percentage
of body fat and in lower serum triglyceride.
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The
fatty acid status of rural school children with helminth infections.
HY Tichelaar, CM Smuts, ME van Stuijvenberg, M Faber
and AJS Benadé
Intestinal helminth infections may reduce nutrient availability and
thereby impair cognitive growth and other functions. Certain nutrients
such as fatty acids may also modulate inflammation and the immune
response and, thus, the severity of helminth infection. Fatty acid
status may, therefore, both be affected by and affect helminth infection.
Rural school-children in South Africa with a 35% helminth infestation
rate were assessed for serum total fatty acid status. With hookworm,
a higher percentage total n-3 fatty acids were found with functional
implications.
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