Age Differences in Vitamin A Intake Among Canadian Inuit

Abstract

Background: Inuit traditional food provides ample amounts of preformed vitamin A. However, the dietary transition away from traditional food raises concerns regarding dietary adequacy. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient with inadequate and excessive exposures having adverse effects. Objective: To evaluate total dietary vitamin A intake for Canadian Inuit from market food and traditional food sources and to evaluate retinol concentrations in liver and blubber. Methods: Dietary surveys were conducted in 18 communities representing 5 Inuit regions, and traditional food items were evaluated for nutrient content. Results: Among those 15-40 years of age, 68% of men and 60% of women had a dietary vitamin A intake below the estimated average requirement (EAR) for retinol activity equivalents (RAE)/day. Among those over 40 years of age, only 11% of men and 15% of women had a dietary vitamin A intake below the EAR. Young Inuit men had a relative risk of 6.2 (95% CI= 4.5-8.4), and young Inuit women had a relative risk of 4.0 (95% CI= 3.1-5.0) for dietary inadequacy compared to the older Inuit men and women, respectively. The median retinol content of liver of ringed seal, caribou, and fish were comparable to levels observed in market food liver. Liver was less frequently consumed by those 15-40 years of age than among older Inuit. Discussion: Sub-optimal vitamin A intake is the predominant nutritional concern rather than excessive exposures. Public health education campaigns are needed to improve vitamin A intake among the younger generations of Inuit men and women. La traduction du résumé se trouve à la fin de l'article.

How is nutrition transition affecting dietary adequacy in Eeyouch (Cree) adults of Northern Quebec, Canada?

“…Sodium intake was lower in younger men; TF may be replacing high-sodium food choices such as foods from restaurants or high-sodium, prepackaged foods as has been found in the Inuit . Although younger Eeyou consumed less TF than older Eeyou, when TF was consumed among the younger adults, it significantly impacted nutrient intakes, indicating the poorer diet quality of the younger adults when not consuming TF (Bersamin et al 2007;Egeland et al 2004;Receveur 1996, 2007;Receveur et al 1997). It should be noted that data collection occurred only in the spring and summer, and this may have impacted our results; recalls taken year round would have provided a more complete picture.…”

“…Rapid development in formerly remote Cree areas has led to better road access and therefore more access to store-bought food and TF (Torrie et al 2005). In many studies, it is apparent that older individuals consume more TF than do younger individuals (Berkes and Farkas 1978;Bersamin et al 2007;Egeland et al 2004;Receveur 1996, 2007;Kuhnlein et al 2004;Receveur et al 1997). In a study of the Ojibwa-Cree of Northern Ontario, traditional sources of food represented a greater contribution of energy in adults aged >49 years compared with younger individuals (Wolever et al 1997b).…”

Current views on hunter‐gatherer nutrition and the evolution of the human diet

“…This has extreme consequences for diet composition—with cold weather hunter‐gatherers relying far more heavily on animal resources, both on land and from the sea (Kuhnlein, ). Rather than showing clinical signs of iron deficiency anemia, most nutrient evaluations of arctic and sub‐arctic foragers suggest that they are more likely to suffer from deficiencies in vitamin A and calcium (Egeland et al, ; Moffatt et al, ; Verdier & Eaton, ). Second, among most populations in these regions, the traditional food base has not changed—anchored by access to varying game and marine resources, the result is that a largely traditional diet is now supplemented with processed foods and market resources (Blanchet, Dewailly, Ayotte, & Bruneau, ; Duhaime, Chabot, Fréchette, Robichaud, & Proulx, ; Kuhnlein et al, ; Sheikh, Egeland, Johnson‐Down, & Kuhnlein, ).…”

The paradox of anemia with high meat intake: a review of the multifactorial etiology of anemia in the Inuit of North America

“…The Canadian Inuit are thought to be at risk for inadequate vitamin A intake based on dietary surveys 7,75 . Traditional Inuit diets include excellent sources of preformed vitamin A, such as liver, fish roe, and blubber 76 .…”

“…In a recent large survey of 18 Inuit communities, based on 24‐hour recalls and 7‐day food records, vitamin A inadequacy was found to be of significant concern for young adults. Based on the EAR for retinol activity equivalents, 68% of men and 60% of women (15–40 years of age) had an intake below the EAR 75 . Among adults over 40 years of age, only 11% of men and 15% of women had intakes below the EAR 75 .…”