A Food-Based Approach Introducing Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potatoes Increased Vitamin A Intake and Serum Retinol Concentrations in Young Children in Rural Mozambique ,3

Abstract

Vitamin A deficiency is widespread and has severe consequences for young children in the developing world. Food-based approaches may be an appropriate and sustainable complement to supplementation programs. Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is rich in beta-carotene and is well accepted by young children. In an extremely resource poor area in Mozambique, the effectiveness of introduction of OFSP was assessed in an integrated agriculture and nutrition intervention, which aimed to increase vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentrations in young children. The 2-y quasi-experimental intervention study followed households and children (n = 741; mean age 13 mo at baseline) through 2 agricultural cycles. In y 2, 90% of intervention households produced OFSP, and mean OFSP plot size in intervention areas increased from 33 to 359 m(2). Intervention children (n = 498) were more likely than control children (n = 243) to eat OFSP 3 or more d in the last wk (55% vs. 8%, P < 0.001) and their vitamin A intakes were much higher than those of control children (median 426 vs. 56 microg retinol activity equivalent, P < 0.001). Controlling for infection/inflammation and other confounders, mean serum retinol increased by 0.100 micromol/L (SEM 0.024; P < 0.001) in intervention children and did not increase significantly in control subjects. Integrated promotion of OFSP can complement other approaches and contribute to increases in vitamin A intake and serum retinol concentrations in young children in rural Mozambique and similar areas in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Sweet Potato Value Chain Analysis Reveals Opportunities for Increased Income and Food Security in Northern Ghana

“…These traits project sweet potato high among resource-poor farmers as yields of 15 to 50 t/ha can be obtained with minimum use of external inputs. Research evidence suggests that orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), in particular, could play a role in combating vitamin A deficiency among children and women in Africa and parts of Asia [5,6]. Just one small root (100-125 g) of most OFSP cultivars supplies the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for children under five years of age [6].…”

“…Research evidence suggests that orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP), in particular, could play a role in combating vitamin A deficiency among children and women in Africa and parts of Asia [5,6]. Just one small root (100-125 g) of most OFSP cultivars supplies the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for children under five years of age [6]. Even at low yields of about 6 t/ha, just 500 m 2 of land can generate the annual requirement of vitamin A for a family of five.…”

Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Varieties Evaluated with Respect to Growth Parameters at Jimma in Southwestern Ethiopia

“…Although the majority of sweet potato varieties are high in carbohydrates, Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) varieties also provide vitamins A and C (Laban et al, 2015). Despite this remarkable potential of the crop, Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is widespread and the most common cause for young children blindness in the developing world (Low et al, 2007). Most sweet potato growers are resource poor, therefore consume imbalanced diets.…”

“…Most sweet potatoes varieties currently grown by farmers are poorly adapted, have low root yields, less nutritive and white fleshed which have no beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A (Wariboko and Ogidi, 2014). But among the cheapest and richest sources of vitamin A, OFSP varieties, rich in beta carotene are well accepted by young children (Low et al, 2007). The intensity of orange colored flesh in sweet potatoes root indicates the level of beta carotene (Low et al, 2001).…”

“…But among the cheapest and richest sources of vitamin A, OFSP varieties, rich in beta carotene are well accepted by young children (Low et al, 2007). The intensity of orange colored flesh in sweet potatoes root indicates the level of beta carotene (Low et al, 2001). Therefore, these OFSP varieties could be useful to combat the widespread VAD that results in blindness and death of 250,000-500,000 African children yearly (Wariboko and Ogidi, 2014).…”