A Randomized Crossover Trial of Acceptability of Quadruple-Fortified Salt in Women and their Households in Southern India.

Background: Double-fortified salt (DFS; iron, iodine) improved iron status in randomized trials and was incorporated into India's social safety net programs, suggesting opportunities to address other micronutrient deficiencies.

Objectives: To evaluate the acceptability of quadruple-fortified salt (QFS; iron, iodine, folic acid, and vitamin B) in women and their households, using a randomized crossover trial design and triangle tests.

Methods: Women 18-49 y (n = 77) and their households were randomly assigned to receive QFS or DFS in a randomized crossover design over a 3-wk period (week 1: QFS/DFS, week 2: iodized salt, week 3: DFS/QFS).

A Randomized Trial of Quadruple-Fortified Salt for Anemia and Birth Defects Prevention in Southern India: Protocol Design and Methods.

Background: Women of reproductive age are at an increased risk of anemia and micronutrient deficiencies. Evidence supports the role of periconceptional nutrition in the development of neural tube defects (NTDs) and other pregnancy complications. Vitamin B deficiency is a risk factor for NTDs and may modify folate biomarkers that predict NTD risk at the population level.

Using Capillary Whole Blood to Quantitatively Measure Ferritin: A Validation Trial of a Point-of-Care System.

Iron deficiency is a public health problem with devastating health, developmental and behavioral effects which often exacerbated due to affordability and access to screening and diagnosis. Using ™ a portable, point-of-care diagnostic system capable of quantitatively measuring ferritin in blood, we validated ferritin measurements using whole blood and serum with a lab-based, regulator-approved analytical device for measuring ferritin in venous serum. Capillary (finger stick) and venous whole blood samples were obtained from 44 male and female volunteers.

Modeling relationships between iron status, behavior, and brain electrophysiology: evidence from a randomized study involving a biofortified grain in Indian adolescents.

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are highly-prevalent nutrient deficiencies and have been shown to have a range of negative effects on cognition and brain function. Human intervention studies including measures at three levels-blood, brain, and behavior-are rare and our objective was to model the relationships among measures at these three levels in school-going Indian adolescents.

Methods: Male and female adolescents in rural India were screened for ID/IDA.

A randomized trial of iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet-based complementary feeding in children aged 12 to 18 months living in urban slums.

Background & Aims: Biofortification of staple crops with higher levels of micronutrients via traditional breeding methods is a sustainable strategy and can possibly complement fortification and other interventions to target micronutrient deficiencies in low resource settings, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children. We aimed to determine if iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet (FeZnPM, Dhanashakti, ICTP-8203Fe)-based complementary feeding improves nutritional status, including iron biomarkers and growth, in children living in urban slums of Mumbai.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of FeZnPM among 223 children aged 12-18 months who were not severely anemic at baseline (hemoglobin ≥9.

Limited Shared Variance among Measures of Cognitive Performance Used in Nutrition Research: The Need to Prioritize Construct Validity and Biological Mechanisms in Choice of Measures.

Background: The literature on correlates of nutrition has seen an increase in studies focused on functional consequences at the levels of neural, perceptual, and cognitive functioning. A range of measurement methodologies have been used in these studies, and investigators and funding agencies have raised the questions of how and if these various methodologies are at all comparable.

Objective: The aim was to determine the extent to which 3 different sets of cognitive measures provide comparable information across 2 subsamples that shared culture and language but differed in terms of socioeconomic status (SES) and academic preparation.

Nutrition and the Gut Microbiota in 10- to 18-Month-Old Children Living in Urban Slums of Mumbai, India.

In this cross-sectional study, we describe the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota among undernourished children living in urban slums of Mumbai, India, and determine how nutritional status, including anthropometric measurements, dietary intakes from complementary foods, feeding practices, and micronutrient concentrations, is associated with their gut microbiota. We collected rectal swabs from children aged 10 to 18 months living in urban slums of Mumbai participating in a randomized controlled feeding trial and conducted 16S rRNA sequencing to determine the composition of the gut microbiota. Across the study cohort, dominated the gut microbiota at over 80% relative abundance, with representation at <4%, suggesting immaturity of the gut.

Iron status is associated with worker productivity, independent of physical effort in Indian tea estate workers.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, affecting roughly 40% of women in nonindustrialized countries. Iron is the essential element in hemoglobin, the major carrier of blood oxygen and oxidative metabolism that supports physical and cognitive performance. The relationship between iron and physical work capacity suggests that iron deficient individuals could experience reduced work output.

The Effects of Improved Nutrition in Early Childhood on Adolescent and Early Adulthood Body Size, Composition, Maturity, and Function: Results From the First INCAP Follow-Up Study.

The first follow-up study of the original Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama Longitudinal Study was conducted in 1988 to 1989 when participants were between the ages of 11 and 27 years. The longer term effects of the original supplementation in early life of either high protein and energy, , or no protein and low energy, , were seen in anthropometry, skeletal maturation, physical work capacity, and intellectual development, with maximum benefit seen in those participants who had maximum exposure to the supplementation during prenatal and early postnatal years. No effects were observed in bone mineralization and menarche.

Increased Iron Status during a Feeding Trial of Iron-Biofortified Beans Increases Physical Work Efficiency in Rwandan Women.

Background: Iron-biofortified staple foods can improve iron status and resolve iron deficiency. However, whether improved iron status from iron biofortification can improve physical performance remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to examine whether changes in iron status from an iron-biofortified bean intervention affect work efficiency.

A Randomized Crossover Study to Evaluate Recipe Acceptability in Breastfeeding Mothers and Young Children in India Targeted for a Multiple Biofortified Food Crop Intervention.

Background: A multiple biofortified food crop trial targeting iron, zinc, and vitamin A deficiencies among young children and their breastfeeding mothers is planned in India.

Objective: To determine the acceptability of recipes prepared with control and biofortified pearl millet, wheat, lentils, and sweet potato.

Methods: Children (6-24 months) and their mothers were enrolled as pairs (n = 52).

Prevalence and Correlates of Undernutrition in Young Children Living in Urban Slums of Mumbai, India: A Cross Sectional Study.

Young children living in urban slums are vulnerable to malnutrition and subsequently poor health outcomes, but data on the correlates of stunting, underweight, wasting, and anemia specifically among 10-18 month-old children in India remain limited. In this analysis, we sought to describe the prevalence of and examine correlates for different markers of undernutrition, including stunting, underweight, and anemia among 10-18 month-old children living in urban slums, an understudied vulnerable group. Children and their mothers ( = 323) were screened for anthropometry, demographics, and complete blood counts for hemoglobin concentration between March and November 2017 (Clinicaltrials.

Predicting potential to benefit from an iron intervention: a randomized controlled trial of double-fortified salt in female Indian tea pluckers.

Objective: The present study examines characteristics of those who benefited from a dietary Fe intervention comprised of salt double-fortified with iodine and Fe (DFS).

Design: Data from a randomized controlled trial were analysed to identify predictors of improved Fe status and resolution of Fe deficiency (serum ferritin (sFt) < 12 μg/l) and low body Fe (body Fe (BI) < 0·0 mg/kg) using non-parametric estimations and binomial regression models.

Setting: A tea estate in West Bengal, India.

A Randomized Feeding Trial of Iron-Biofortified Beans on School Children in Mexico.

Iron deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide, with the highest burden among children. The objective of this randomized efficacy feeding trial was to determine the effects of consuming iron-biofortified beans (Fe-Beans) on the iron status in children, compared to control beans (Control-Beans). A cluster-randomized trial of biofortified beans (), bred to enhance iron content, was conducted over 6 months.

Iron biofortification interventions to improve iron status and functional outcomes.

This analysis was conducted to evaluate the evidence of the efficacy of iron biofortification interventions on iron status and functional outcomes. Iron deficiency is a major public health problem worldwide, with a disproportionate impact on women and young children, particularly those living in resource-limited settings. Biofortification, or the enhancing of micronutrient content in staple crops, is a promising and sustainable agriculture-based approach to improve nutritional status.

Increasing Iron Status through Dietary Supplementation in Iron-Depleted, Sedentary Women Increases Endurance Performance at Both Near-Maximal and Submaximal Exercise Intensities.

Background: Iron deficiency persists as the most common micronutrient deficiency globally, despite having known detrimental effects on physical performance. Although iron supplementation and aerobic exercise have been examined individually and are known to improve physical performance, the impact of simultaneous iron supplementation and aerobic training remains unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the individual and combined effects of iron supplementation and aerobic training on improving maximal and submaximal physical performance in iron-depleted, nonanemic (IDNA) women.

Corrigendum: Acceptability of Iron- and Zinc-Biofortified Pearl Millet (ICTP-8203)-Based Complementary Foods among Children in an Urban Slum of Mumbai, India.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2017.

Cognitive Performance in Indian School-Going Adolescents Is Positively Affected by Consumption of Iron-Biofortified Pearl Millet: A 6-Month Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial.

Background: Iron deficiency remains the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency globally, but few studies have examined how iron status relates to cognition in adolescents. Iron biofortification of staple food crops is being scaled up, yet it is unknown whether consuming biofortified crops can benefit cognition.

Objective: Our objective was to determine the efficacy of iron-biofortified pearl millet in improving attention and memory in Indian school-going adolescents.

Effect of iron and zinc-biofortified pearl millet consumption on growth and immune competence in children aged 12-18 months in India: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Biofortified crops represent a sustainable agricultural solution for the widespread micronutrient malnutrition in India and other resource-limited settings. This study aims to investigate the effect of the consumption of foods prepared with iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet (FeZn-PM) by children on biomarkers of iron and zinc status, growth, and immune function.

Methods And Analysis: We will conduct a randomised controlled feeding trial in identified slums of Mumbai, India among 200 children aged between 12 and 18 months.

Efficacy of iron supplementation may be misinterpreted using conventional measures of iron status in iron-depleted, nonanemic women undergoing aerobic exercise training.

Despite its known detrimental effects, iron deficiency remains the most common micronutrient deficiency in the world. Many interventions that aim to improve iron status involve physically active populations. Intense aerobic exercise training negatively affects iron status; however, the impact of regular moderate aerobic exercise on the effectiveness of iron supplementation remains unclear.

Consumption of a Double-Fortified Salt Affects Perceptual, Attentional, and Mnemonic Functioning in Women in a Randomized Controlled Trial in India.

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia have been shown to have negative effects on aspects of perception, attention, and memory. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the extent to which increases in dietary iron consumption are related to improvements in behavioral measures of perceptual, attentional, and mnemonic function. Women were selected from a randomized, double-blind, controlled food-fortification trial involving ad libitum consumption of either a double-fortified salt (DFS) containing 47 mg potassium iodate/kg and 3.

Acceptability of Iron- and Zinc-Biofortified Pearl Millet (Dhanashakti)-Based [corrected] Complementary Foods among Children in an Urban Slum of Mumbai, India.

Biofortification, a method for increasing micronutrient content of staple crops, is a promising strategy for combating major global health problems, such as iron and zinc deficiency. We examined the acceptability of recipes prepared using iron- and zinc-biofortified pearl millet (FeZnPM) (~80 ppm Fe, ~34 ppm Zn, varietal Dhanashakti), [corrected] compared to conventional pearl millet (CPM) (~20 ppm Fe, ~19 ppm Zn) in preparation for an efficacy trial. Our objective was to examine the acceptability of FeZnPM compared to CPM among young children and mothers living in the urban slums of Mumbai.

Consumption of Iron-Biofortified Beans Positively Affects Cognitive Performance in 18- to 27-Year-Old Rwandan Female College Students in an 18-Week Randomized Controlled Efficacy Trial.

Evidence shows that iron deficiency in adulthood may affect cognitive performance, possibly by disrupting neurotransmitter regulation or brain energy metabolism. Women of reproductive age (WRA) are among those who are most vulnerable to iron deficiency; however, they have been largely ignored in the literature relating iron status to cognition. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of iron-biofortified beans in improving cognition in WRA compared with control beans.