Nutritional improvement of rice by fortification with synthetic amino acids and vitamins; final research report, 1971 to 1975

THE STUDY WAS BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT MAJOR HEALTH BENEFITS MIGHT RESULT IF THE RICE WERE FORTIFIED WITH AMINO ACIDS AND OTHER NUTRIENTS. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY SHOW THAT THE DESIRED HEALTH EFFECTS WERE NOT OBTAINED. DURING THE FIELD STUDY PERIOD, AUGUST 1971 TO JANUARY 1975, GRAINS FORTIFIED WITH LYSINE, THREONINE, THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN, VITAMIN A, AND IRON WERE PROVIDED TO THAI VILLAGERS. THE TESTING INVOLVED 2400 CHILDREN FROM 6 MONTHS TO 12 YEARS OLD. SOME ADULTS WERE ALSO PART OF THE STUDY. THE FORTIFIED GRAINS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE MEASUREMENTS OF DEVELOPMENT AND OF HEALTH STATUS. THE STUDY ALSO CONCLUDED THAT POOR GROWTH AMONG THE VILLAGERS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO MORBIDITY OR TO A LACK OF AVAILABLE FOOD. IT IS MORE PROBABLY LINKED TO INADEQUATE CALORIC CONSUMPTION OR TO THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF ENTERIC PARASITE INFECTIONS. AS A RESULT OF THIS STUDY, THE THAI MINISTRY OF HEALTH IS COMMITTED TO FURTHER STUDIES TO EVALUATE HEALTH PROBLEMS SO THAT LOW-COST PRACTICAL VILLAGE NUTRITION AND HEALTH PROGRAMS CAN BE STARTED. TABLES PRESENT THE DATA COLLECTED ON WINTER AND SUMMER PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS OF THE CHILDREN EACH YEAR FROM JANUARY 1971, DETAILED MORBIDITY DATA ON ALL CHILDREN GATHERED EVERY 15 DAYS FROM JULY 1972 THROUGH JUNE 1975, AND DATA ON THE USE OF FORTIFIED RICE. THERE IS A SECTION ON NUTRITION INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND THEIR FEASIBILITY IN THAI VILLAGES. THE REPORT OBSERVES THAT DAY CARE CENTERS ESTABLISHED FOR THE STUDY PROVIDE GOOD DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR NUTRITION AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.