High beta-carotene maize, biofortified with beta-carotene through plant breeding, is being developed as a cost-effective, sustainable agronomic approach to alleviating the problem of vitamin A deficiency in Africa. We used high beta-carotene maize (10.49+/-0.16 microg beta-carotene/g) to prepare traditional maize porridges and compared the carotenoid contents in the following: (1) whole kernels; (2) wet milled flour; (3) wet milled flour, fermented; (4) wet milled flour, cooked; (5) wet milled flour, fermented and cooked. The cumulative losses of beta-carotene in the final, cooked products were 24.5% (95% CI 22.8-26.2%) and 24.8% (95% CI 23.1-26.5%), for the fermented and unfermented porridges, respectively. Thus, fermentation, a traditional technology with documented nutritional and other health benefits, does not adversely affect the retention of beta-carotene in porridges prepared with high beta-carotene maize. The relatively good retention of beta-carotene during traditional maize processing provides additional experimental support for the feasibility of maize biofortification as a means to alleviate vitamin A deficiency.

The objective of the present study was to establish multiethnic, all-age prediction equations for estimating stature from arm span in males and females.The arm span/height ratio (ASHR) from 13 947 subjects (40.9% females), aged 5-99 years, from nine centres (in China, Europe, Ghana, India and Iran) was used to predict ASHR as a function of age using the lambda, mu and sigma method. Z-scores for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC in 1503 patients were calculated using measured height and height calculated from arm span and age.ASHR varied nonlinearly with age, was higher in males than in females and differed significantly between the nine sites. The data clustered into four groups: Asia, Europe, Ghana and Iran. Average predicted FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC using measured or predicted height did not differ, with standard deviations of 4.6% for FEV1, 5.0% for FVC and 0.3% for FEV1/FVC. The percentages of disparate findings for a low FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC in patients, calculated using measured or predicted height, were 4.2%, 3.2% and 0.4%, respectively; for a restrictive pattern, there were 1.0% disparate findings.Group-and sex-specific equations for estimating height from arm span and age to derive predicted values for spirometry are clinically useful. @ERSpublications Height estimated from arm span, age and ethnic group allows clinically valid classification of spirometric data

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Salt restriction associated with iodine deficiency among women but not men. Alternative sources of iodine should be suggested to persons who are consuming low levels of iodine such as women if they need to restrict dietary salt intake. Among those iodine deficient, health professionals should enquire about salt restriction.

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Geophagia, which involves ingestion of non-food lithospheric substances, is the major form of pica in many African cultures. A common lithospheric pica substance ingested in the Cape Three Point region of West Africa, particularly Ghana and Togo, is a white loamy clay soil. This clay soil is usually ingested by women of reproductive age. Some of the reasons assigned to clay geophagia include appealing flavour, to alleviate nausea during pregnancy, and for absorption of toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. Some speculation indicates that geophagia may be an attempt to replenish mineral nutrients in undernourished persons. The study of the acid extractable mineral contents of this white clay soil was done to provide information on the mineral contents that could potentially be absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Results showed that the clay soil was very dry with mean moisture content of 0.19±0.01%. On dry weight basis, the geophagia clay soil contained (mg/100 g) aluminium, 1,239.6; iron, 962.9; lead, 2.4; magnesium, 64.3; and zinc, 54.6. The extractable mineral contents of this clay soil, on dry weight basis, were (mg/100 g): zinc, 1.40±0.05; iron, 14.19±0.13; magnesium, 23.83±0.31; and aluminium, 37.91±2.94. Compared to the total minerals contents of the clay soil, the acid extractable fractions represented 2.6% of zinc, 1.5% of iron, 36.4% of magnesium, and 3.2% of aluminium. Even though lead was not detected in the acid extracts, a small amount was detected in the dry clay soil. Arsenic was not detected in any clay sample or extracts. It was concluded that the main mineral nutrient potentially contributed by this clay pica substance was iron. The clay soil liberated a substantial amount of iron (14.2 mg/100g), which constituted 78.9% of the 18 mg/d iron RDA for women of reproductive age and 53.0% of the 27 mg/day iron RDA for pregnant women. The potentially undesirable effect of ingesting this clay soil is the high level of aluminium (37.9 mg/100g).