Moringa Oleifera Leaf Consumption On The Vitamin A And Haematological Status Of School Children In Ada-East District, Ghana
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Int. J. Food, Nutrition and Public Health
Abstract
Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) could be prevented by the consumption of pro-vitamin
A (β-carotene)-rich Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) leaves. M. oleifera grows well in many developing
countries and dried leaves also retain a high percentage of β-carotene in storage; they could thus serve
as an excellent, convenient source of this pro-vitamin A carotenoid. This study assessed the efficacy of
the supplementation of dried M. oleifera leaves on the vitamin A and haematological status of children
in Ada-East district, Ghana.
Methodology: Children aged 5–12 years were supplemented thrice a week at 0.2 g/kg body weight
for nine weeks. Background data were collected on the socio-demographic status of the children. Data
were collected on the children's vitamin A and haematological status at baseline and at the end of the
study. Malaria and hookworm morbidity were also assessed at baseline and the end of the study.
Results: There was a significant increase in mean serum vitamin A levels after supplementation (end
of study) in the intervention group (p,0.05), but not in the control group. Haematological parameters
Haemoglobin (HGB), Red Blood Count (RBC), Haematocrit (HCT), and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) did
not show any significant changes in either group (p,0.05). A bivariate analysis, however, showed a
significant association between vitamin A and haematological indices in the intervention group, but
not in the control group.
Conclusion: M. oleifera leaf consumption significantly increased the vitamin A status of children in
Ada-East district, Ghana, has the potential to increase children's haematological status. It
could thus play a major role as a food-based strategy in vitamin A deficiency control.
Description
Research Article