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Multiple micronutrient-fortified rice affects physical performance and plasma vitamin B-12 and homocysteine concentrations of Indian school children.

The Journal of nutrition
May 1, 2012
Prashanth Thankachan et al. (8 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine whether rice fortified with multiple micronutrients, including Vitamin A, could improve micronutrient status, anemia prevalence, and physical/cognitive performance in school children.

Results Summary

The study found that <10% of children were deficient in Vitamin A at baseline, and no significant changes in Vitamin A status were observed after the intervention. The fortified rice improved vitamin B-12 status and physical performance but did not notably affect Vitamin A levels.

Population

6- to 12-year-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India.

Effective Dosage

Not specified for Vitamin A (only iron concentrations: 6.25 mg or 12.5 mg).

Duration

6 months (6 days/week).

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (9)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients with low-iron (6.25 mg) concentration
decrease
anemia prevalence
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
small reduction
paired analyses revealed a small reduction
#1
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients with high-iron (12.5 mg) concentration
decrease
anemia prevalence
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
small reduction
paired analyses revealed a small reduction
#2
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
increase
plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
-
significantly improved
#3
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
decrease
homocysteine concentrations
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
-
significantly improved
#4
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
increase
physical performance
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
-
significantly improved
#5
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
no change
hemoglobin concentration
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
no significant change
No between-group differences were observed
#6
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
no change
anemia
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
no significant change
No between-group differences were observed
#7
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
no change
deficiencies of other micronutrients
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
no significant change
No between-group differences were observed
#8
extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients
no change
cognitive function
6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India
no significant change
No between-group differences were observed
#9
Abstract

Fortifying rice with multiple micronutrients could be a promising strategy for combat micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. We determined the efficacy of extruded rice grains fortified with multiple micronutrients on the prevalence of anemia, micronutrient status, and physical and cognitive performance in 6- to 12-y-old, low-income school children in Bangalore, India. In a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, 258 children were assigned to 1 of 3 intervention groups to receive rice-based lunch meals fortified with multiple micronutrients with either low-iron (6.25 mg) or high-iron (12.5 mg) concentrations or identical meals with unfortified rice. The meals were provided 6 d/wk for 6 mo. Anthropometric, biochemical, physical performance, and cognitive assessments were taken at baseline and endpoint. At baseline, study groups were comparable, with 61% of the children being anemic. However, only <10% were deficient in iron, vitamin A, and zinc. After 6 mo, plasma vitamin B-12 and homocysteine concentrations (both P < 0.001) as well as physical performance (P < 0.05) significantly improved in the intervention arms. No between-group differences were observed in hemoglobin concentration, anemia, and deficiencies of other micronutrients or cognitive function after 6 mo, but paired analyses revealed a small reduction in anemia prevalence in children in the low-iron group. The fortified rice was efficacious in improving vitamin B-12 status and physical performance in Indian school children.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AnemiaChildChild Nutrition DisordersCognitionEducational StatusFemaleFood ServicesFood, FortifiedHomocysteineHumansIndiaIronMaleMicronutrientsMorbidityMotor ActivityOryzaPrevalenceSchoolsVitamin B 12
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy30/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations30
Citations/Year2.3
Relative Citation Ratio1.34
NIH Percentile61.2%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score1.52
Normalized Score0.49
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