Abstract
Intakes of micronutrient-rich foods are low among Indian women of reproductive age. We investigated whether consumption of a food-based micronutrient-rich snack increased markers of blood micronutrient concentrations when compared with a control snack. Non-pregnant women (n 222) aged 14-35 years living in a Mumbai slum were randomised to receive a treatment snack (containing green leafy vegetables, dried fruit and whole milk powder), or a control snack containing foods of low micronutrient content such as wheat flour, potato and tapioca. The snacks were consumed under observation 6d per week for 12 weeks, compliance was recorded, and blood was collected at 0 and 12 weeks. Food-frequency data were collected at both time points. Compliance (defined as the proportion of women who consumed ≥3 snacks/week) was >85% in both groups. We assessed the effects of group allocation on 12-week nutrient concentrations using ANCOVA models with respective 0-week concentrations, BMI, compliance, standard of living, fruit and green leafy vegetable consumption and use of synthetic nutrients as covariates. The treatment snack significantly increased β-carotene concentrations (treatment effect: 47·1nmol/l, 95% CI 6·5, 87·7). There was no effect of group allocation on concentrations of ferritin, retinol, ascorbate, folate or vitamin B12. The present study shows that locally sourced foods can be made into acceptable snacks that may increase serum β-carotene concentrations among women of reproductive age. However, no increase in circulating concentrations of the other nutrients measured was observed.
Highlights
Intakes of micronutrient-rich foods are low among Indian women of reproductive age
Fruit and green leafy vegetables are a good source of micronutrients, Abbreviations: CRP, C-reactive protein; MMNP, Mumbai Maternal Nutrition Project. * Corresponding author: S
The present study was conducted between October 2009 and March 2010, and was an adjunct to a larger ongoing randomised controlled trial, namely the Mumbai Maternal Nutrition Project (MMNP)(11,12), which was launched in January 2006
Summary
Intakes of micronutrient-rich foods are low among Indian women of reproductive age. We investigated whether consumption of a food-based micronutrient-rich snack increased markers of blood micronutrient concentrations when compared with a control snack. Fruit and green leafy vegetables are a good source of micronutrients, but intakes of these foods are low, with national survey data indicating that in 2005– 6 over 50 % of Indian women consumed fruit less than once per week[7]. When these data were broken down by region and demographic group, over two-thirds of women living in Mumbai slum areas (n 803) consumed green leafy vegetables on a daily basis. We aimed to assess the effects of daily consumption of a food-based intervention in the form of a snack food containing green leafy vegetables, dried fruit and milk powder on blood micronutrient concentrations in nonpregnant, low-income, Indian women of reproductive age. The present study was conducted according to the guidelines laid down in the Declaration of Helsinki, and all procedures involving human subjects were approved by the JJ Hospital Ethics Committee, Mumbai
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