Orange sweet potato reduces risk of vitamin a deficiency in children and women in Mozambique
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - 10:00
in Health & Medicine
(Medical Xpress) -- A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition indicates that orange sweet potato (OSP) is effective in providing vitamin A to malnourished women and children in Mozambique, where the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is very high. VAD can lead to impaired immune defenses and eye damage that can lead to blindness and even death. Annually, 250,000 to 500,000 preschool children go blind from VAD and about two-thirds will die within months of going blind.