Effectiveness of the use of specialized food item among copper industry workers

Abstract

Introduction. Maintaining health and job longevity and decrease in the Russian working population’s occupational morbidity rate remains a current trend in public policy in health care. The purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new specialized food item with the following definition: “Fruit and vegetable Nectar, enriched with dietary fiber, pectin and vitamins” (from now on “Nectar”) as being healthy nutrition for individuals of auxiliary workshops of the copper industry. Materials and methods. Thirty-four workers participated in the research. The questionnaire, clinical and laboratory as well as statistical methods were applied. Results. Workers’ diet involved a high proportion of fats (44.6% of the total dietary calories) and insufficient food items sources of ascorbic acid. The share of individuals with an inadequate nutritional supply of vitamins A, C, B1, B2, and PP was 32.6%, 46.9%, 75.5%, 81.6%, and 79.6%, respectively. Low concentration of ascorbic acid in the blood serum (in 32.7% of workers) and normal concentration of vitamin A and B1 in blood were demonstrated in surveyed workers in the winter. The effectiveness of course consumption of Nectar specialized drink was shown in workers. Resulting from its consumption for three or more weeks, statistically significant positive alterations were observed in vitamin status (vitamin A and C), antioxidant defense system (in terms of peroxidase and MDA), together with a subjective health assessment in terms of work capacity and fatigue. Consumption of Nectar reduced cadmium content to environmentally safe level** in workers with high level of cadmium in blood. Conclusion. Nectar may be used as a therapeutic and prophylactic food item for workers exposed to heavy metals.