The connection between vitamin and iron status indexes of school-age children

The analysis of vitamin and iron indexes of 95 children sufficiently supplied with vitamin C and vitamin B2 and carotenoids deficiency has been carried out. Vitamin E deficit takes place among anemic children (with decreased hemoglobin blood level) 2 fold more often than among healthy children. From another side, decreased hemoglobin blood level, erythrocyte quantity and erythrocyte indexes have been determined 1.7-2.4 fold more often in insufficiently supplied with vitamin E children. Tocopherols serum level had tendency to the decrease and vitamin E deficit took place 2 fold more frequently in children suffering from iron deficiency anemia that is with decreased hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations. Marked positive linear correlation between these iron indexes and vitamin E serum level has been revealed. These results give evidence concerning significant role of this vitamin in the body iron supplying. The results obtained give evidence for multi-deficient anemia presence among children, which are not always caused by iron deficit. High frequency of vitamin E and B group vitamins deficiency proves expediency of these vitamins inclusion in complex therapy of iron deficiency.     

Vitamin sufficiency of young basketball players

The investigation of vitamin sufficiency of young basket-ball players 14-16 years old (17 girls and 14 boys) has been carried out 59-77 per cent of the children had the deficiency of B group vitamins, 24-54 per cent--vitamin E insufficiency, most of them (82-100 per cent)--deficit of carotenoids while they were sufficiently vitamins C and A supplied. The girls were supplied with vitamins better than boys. There was no one adequately supplied with all vitamins among boys while 12 per cent of girls had adequately sufficiency. The girls had deficit of 1-2 vitamins more often whereas the combined insufficiency of 3-4 vitamins took place in 1.8-2.3 fold more frequently among boys. Daily intake of multivitamin containing 10 vitamins in daily recommended doses, lipoic acid, methionin and 9 minerals by boys lead to their blood plasma vitamin C, E, B-2 and beta-carotene level increase. Vitamin C insufficiency disappeared. Deficit of beta-carotene and vitamin B-6 became 1.5 fold rarely, vitamin B-2--2 fold, vitamin E--6 fold. Thus daily intake of recommended doses of vitamins eliminates biochemical signs of vitamin deficiency.     

Provision of workers and employees of Kuzbass industrial enterprises with vitamins C, E, A and beta-carotene

The content of vitamins C, E, A and beta-carotene was studied in the blood serum of 404 workers and employees of the Kuzbass industrial enterprises. Insufficient providing of the body with ascorbic acid, tocopherol and beta-carotene has been revealed. The number of workers and employees with vitamin C deficiency comprises at an average 95%, with vitamin E deficiency--9%, and with beta-carotene deficiency--34%. Industrial enterprises characterized by hard physical labor and occupational health hazard have been found to be most unfavourable with respect to providing with vitamins. The results of the investigations conducted have evidenced the necessity of correcting the vitamin nutrition of the subjects studied.     

The connection between vitamin and antioxidant status of the children with decreased hemoglobin level

The investigation of vitamin sufficiency of 96 children 4-15 years old living in Moscow with decreased hemoglobin level (less 120 g/l) has been carried out in spring in 2001. Most of the children (90 per cent) had the combined deficiency of B group vitamins and carotenoids while they were sufficiently vitamin C supplied. There were only 2 per cent of children adequately supplied with all vitamins. Range correlation between hemoglobin blood level and riboflavin and tocopherols serum concentration has been observed. Marked negative linear correlation between riboflavin and malone dialdehyde serum content has been revealed: more sufficiently supplied with vitamin B2 child has lower lipid oxidative product level. Thus the necessity of vitamin B2 including in complex therapy of iron deficiency is based.     

Effect of vitamin beverages on vitamin sufficiency of the workers of Pskov Hydroelectric Power-Plant

The research of influence of vitamin complexes in the form of a drink or kissel on vitamin sufficiency of working persons has been carried out. Long inclusion (6,5 months) in a diet of vitamin drinks containing about 80% from recommended daily consumption of vitamins, was accompanied by trustworthy improvement of vitamins C and B6 sufficiency and prevention of seasonal deterioration of beta-carotene status. As initially surveyed have been well provided with vitamins A and E, their blood serum level increase had not occurred.     

Effectiveness of use in preventive nutrition the food ptoducts with contents of pectin and vitamins

Daily inclusion in the diet of Pskov GRES workers the drinks or kissels containing 2 g pectin per daily serving (cup) during 6 months was accompanied by a statistically significant decline of their supply with vitamins C, B2, A and beta-carotene. This is reflected both in reducing the average vitamin concentration in blood serum and in the increase of the quota of people with deficiency of several vitamins. Additional inclusion of 13 vitamins in these drinks and kissels, in a dose about 80% of the RDA, has prevented the deterioration of vitamin status.     

Vitamin status and bone mineral density at patients with adiposity and the cardiovascular pathology

It has been shown that among patients suffering from adiposity and cardiovascular diseases and osteopenia deficiency of vitamins C, E and D, estimated on their blood serum level, and also raised daily urinary excretion of vitamin B2 take place more often, than among patients with the same pathologies, but without osteopenia. The data obtained confirm the important role of these vitamins in the maintenance of a normal bone function.     

Effects of biologically active food additives with different contents of vitamins on the vitamin status in humans

The comparative study of influence of two biologically active food additives with the different contents of vitamins is carried out: a drink "Zolotoi Shar", the dose of vitamins in which makes 50-90% from recommended daily consumption, and "Vitabalance 2000", the contents of vitamins in which at 2-17 of time exceeds need of organism. The use of both additives within 3 weeks resulted in increase of levels of vitamins C, A, E, B2, B6 and carotenoids in blood serum. However if in case of consumption of a drink an authentic level was reached only for vitamin C and beta-carotene, in a case "Vitabalance 2000" for all investigated vitamins except vitamin A. Thus, if the consumption of a drink has lowered frequency of deficiency of 3-4 vitamins, but has not allowed to liquidate it completely, in case of "Vitabalance 2000" consumption the simultaneous deficiency 3-4 vitamins. The received data allow to believe the biologically active food additives containing vitamins in amounts exceeding recommended consumption, are convenient for fast liquidation of hypovitaminoses, and the preparations containing vitamins in doses making 30-50% from need of organism, are acceptable for daily filling of insufficient consumption of vitamins with a usual diet for a long time.     

Method of simultaneous analysis of vitamins A, E and beta-carotene in dairy products

A method has been suggested for simultaneous assay of vitamins A, E and beta-carotene in milk products. A specimen sample is subjected to alkaline hydrolysis, then vitamins are extracted and separated in the column with aluminium oxide; for beta-carotene elution hexane is used, for vitamin E - acetone-hexane (10:90), for vitamin A - acetone-hexane (15:85). beta-carotene is assayed in hexane by absorption. Vitamin A and E fractions are evaporated, the residue is diluted in absolute alcohol, vitamin A is identified by absorption, vitamin E - by the colour Emmery-Engel reaction. The variation coefficient in the assay of vitamins A, E and beta-carotene was less than 10% in 5 out of 6 cases.     

Providing with vitamins of different population groups in Sverdlovsk]

The investigation on providing with vitamins of varying population groups: preschool children, schoolchildren, students of trade schools and higher schools, workers and employees was conducted in Sverdlovsk. Low levels of vitamin C were detected in the blood of 40-92%, folic acid--in 10-76%, vitamin A--in 4-28%, carotene--in 8-60%, tocopherol--in 4-50% of the examinees. Vitamin B1 deficiency was noted in 36-68%, vitamin B2--in 17-71%. The highest deficiency of ascorbic acid was recorded in workers and students of trade schools and higher schools, of folic acid--in workers and adolescents of 15-18 years, of vitamins B1, E, A and carotene--in children and adolescents, vitamin B1--in employees. The mass character of vitamin deficiencies and their negative effects on the health of the population have necessitated broad-scale prophylactic measures: production of vitamin-enriched foods, regular use of multivitamins.     

Vitamin levels in children with latent iron deficiency

Providing with ascorbic acid, vitamins A and E, thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine was biochemically investigated in 108 children aged from 9 to 15 years. Significant disorders in the providing with all these vitamins were observed, the highest deficiency of ascorbic acid and pyridoxine being recorded. Vitamin deficiency in children was expressed as polyhypovitaminosis. Children with latent iron deficiency are less provided with vitamins than normal children, and the incidence of this or that vitamin deficiency in them is higher. The data obtained have evidenced that normalization of the body providing with vitamins should play an important role in the preventive treatment of children with latent iron deficiency.     

Vitamin status in human noninfectious chronic diseases

The data on vitamin sufficiency of adults and children suffering from chronic sickness and vitamin content in mostly common hospital diets has been submitted. Polyhypovitaminosis (combined insufficiency with several vitamins) takes place irrespective of season, age and place of residence. Deficit of B group vitamins and carotenoids has been observed more frequently. All hospital diets contain inadequate level of carotenoids, strongly reduced diets are deficiently in all vitamins. Any way of vitaminization (vitamins administration, including of vitamin-enriched food products in the ration) leads to the decrease of polyhypovitaminosis frequency, to the increase of the part of people adequately supplied with all vitamins and simultaneous improvement of patients clinic status.     

The influence of the vitamin-mineral complex upon the blood vitamin, calcium and phosphorus of patients with ostreoarthrosis

In research in which 11 osteoarthrosis patients with osteoarthrosis of the knee-joint of II-III degree and 18 healthy people took part, it has been shown that sufficiency with vitamin C, carotinoids and calcium of osteoarthrosis patients was worse than that of healthy people. These micronutrients blood plasma level in both groups was less than the lower border of normal sufficiency. Whereas patients from both groups were adequately supplied with vitamins A, E, B2 and phosphorus. Addition of vitamin-mineral complex to patients ration course 30 days resulted in eliminating insufficiently of vitamin C, carotinoids, beta-carotin, calcium and in hardly noticable changes of initial high levels of vitamin A, E, B and phosphoris. These nutrients deficit disappeared while there was no noticeable change in the initial optimal provision with vitamins B2, A and E. Thus, there is no doubt in arguments in favour of additional enrichment with vitamins and calcium of osteoarthrosis patients diet.     

Biochemical indicators of vitamin provision to Orenburg's schoolchildren and effectiveness of prophylactic vitamin administration]

The study of providing with vitamins of schoolchildren in Orenburg conducted in the spring of 1985-1986 has revealed decreased content of ascorbic acid in 92%, vitamin E in 62%, vitamin A in 39%, folic acid in 38%, vitamin B12 in 14% of the children, the incidence rate of vitamin deficiency among the children in the senior forms was higher as compared to that in the junior forms and in boys it was more frequent than in girls. Additional intake of multivitamin "Undevitum" by schoolchildren during 2-4 months led to a significant improvement of their providing with vitamins that was expressed in normal vitamin levels and elimination of cases of deep vitamin deficiency.     

Peripartum changes of plasma and milk vitamin A and beta-carotene among dairy cows with or without mastitis

Over 12 mo we studied the relationship between peripartum concentrations of vitamin A and beta-carotene in blood plasma and milk of 93 Holsteins with or without subsequent mastitis. Blood was sampled daily from 7 days prepartum through 7 days postpartum and on alternate weeks through wk 10 of lactation. Milk samples were collected daily for 7 days postpartum and then biweekly for 10 wk. Somatic cell counts were on biweekly milk samples. Vitamin A and beta-carotene of blood plasma decreased rapidly prepartum to reach minimum concentrations at calving (vitamin A) or on day 4 to 6 postpartum (beta-carotene). Thereafter, both vitamin A and beta-carotene increased rapidly through 10 wk postpartum. Concentrations of vitamin A and beta-carotene in colostrum were higher than concentrations in milk. Cows with mastitis (somatic cells greater than 500,000 cells/ml milk) had lower vitamin A in blood plasma during days 0 to 7 and wk 2 and 4 postpartum than cows without mastitis. When data were analyzed with loge of somatic cell count as an independent regression variable, results were similar. In contrast to vitamin A, peripartum beta-carotene in blood plasma was higher among mastitic cows and was related to higher loge of somatic cell count. No significant difference was observed between mastitic and non-mastitic cows for vitamin A and beta-carotene in milk. Lower concentrations of plasma vitamin A and higher concentrations of beta-carotene during the immediate postpartum period were associated with higher milk somatic cell counts among dairy cows during lactation.     

Seasonal variations of vitamin sufficiency in pregnant women (Mzensk City)

The investigation of sufficiency of vitamin C, A, E, B2, B6, carotenoids and iron dietary intake has been carried out in 61 pregnant women in spring and early autumn 1998. There were no women adequately supplied with all vitamins irrespective of season and residence. Most of them (70-80 per cent) had combined deficiency of 3-5 vitamins in spring. About 50 per cent of women had combined insufficiency of vitamins and iron. Intake of vitamins improved in autumn especially due to vitamins C, A, E and carotenoids. The frequency of 3-5 vitamins deficit decreased while occurrence of combined deficiency of vitamin B6 and carotenoids still often took place. Thus, normalization of vitamin status of pregnant women is necessary all year round.     

Vitamin status of workers in the chromium industry

The content of A, E, C, B2 and PP vitamins and their metabolites in the blood and urine as well as microsigns of vitamin deficiency were studied in workers engaged in chrome industry. Microsigns of vitamin deficiency were observed along with low levels of vitamins. This appears to be associated with increased physiological requirements in vitamins due to specific work of chrome industry personnel.     

Peripartum serum vitamin E, retinol, and beta-carotene in dairy cattle and their associations with disease

Peripartum decreases in serum concentrations of vitamins A and E may contribute to impaired immune function in dairy cows. The objectives of this study were to describe peripartum serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and retinol and their associations with disease risk. On 20 farms over 1 yr, blood samples were collected weekly from 1057 cows from 1 wk before expected calving until 1 wk postpartum. Serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and retinol, as well as several biochemical variables were measured. Their associations with the risk of retained placenta or clinical mastitis were modeled separately with logistic regression, and the factors associated with the concentration of each vitamin were modelled with mixed linear regression. Differences in vitamin concentrations between 2 batches of sera analyzed 6 mo apart required stratification of statistical analyses. Accounting for the effects of parity, season, and twins, an increase in alpha-tocopherol of 1 microg/mL in the last week prepartum reduced the risk of retained placenta by 20%, whereas serum nonesterified fatty acid concentration > or = 0.5 mEq/L tended to increase risk of retained placenta by 80%. In the last week prepartum, a 100 ng/mL increase in serum retinol was associated with a 60% decrease in the risk of early lactation clinical mastitis. There were significant positive associations of peripartum serum concentrations among each of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, and retinol.     

Analysis of vitamin C, B2 and A provision in patients with obesity and cardiovascular: comparable data on the basis of foodstuff consumption and blood serum level detection

Comparative analysis of vitamin C, B2 and A sufficiency evaluation of the patients suffering from obesity and cardiovascular diseases has been done by means of rated vitamin intake on the basis of foodstuff consumption frequency and blood serum level detection. According to both methods the surveyed had optimal sufficiency with vitamin C. At lowered in comparison with recommended receipt of these vitamins with a diet in 56-94% of patients retinol blood serum concentration was within the limits of norm, while only 15% of patients had lowered concerning the bottom border of norm riboflavin blood serum level.     

Association of metabolic syndrome risk factors with selected markers of oxidative status and microinflammation in healthy omnivores and vegetarians

Conditions predisposing to metabolic syndrome (MetS) are associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation. We studied, in vegetarians (n = 90) and omnivores (n = 46), the impact of the dietary regimen on the occurrence of MetS risk factors (RFs: BMI, blood pressure, glucose metabolism and lipid profile) in relation to oxidative status (advanced glycation end products (AGEs), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), malondialdehyde, ferric reducing ability of plasma, vitamins A, E, C, beta-carotene and superoxide dismutase activity) and microinflammation (C-reactive protein, leukocytes and neopterin). The proportion of subjects without/positive for one or two MetS RFs was comparable between the groups. From the components of MetS only immunoreactive insulin levels differed significantly (95% CI: omnivores: 5.0-7.1 microU/mL, vegetarians: 4.5-5.4, p = 0.03). Omnivores had lower AOPP (omnivores: 0.29-0.36 micromol/g albumin, vegetarians: 0.36-0.52, p = 0.01) and beta-carotene levels than vegetarians, they consumed more calories, proteins, fat and saturated fatty acids, and less fibres, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Multiple regression analysis revealed vitamin E and AOPP levels as the most important independent determinants of MetS RFs. The vegetarian diet seems to exert beneficial effects on MetS RFs associated microinflammation. Whether the vegetarian diet may counteract the deleterious effects of elevated AOPPs and AGEs, remains to be elucidated.