Nutritional potential of red palm oil for combating vitamin A deficiency

Abstract

Although the severe vitamin A deficiency responsible for ocular damage is now rare, subclinical vitamin A deficiency still contributes importantly to high child mortality in the developing countries of Asia. This demands urgent and effective preventive action. Although periodic large doses of vitamin A for this purpose have been a favoured approach of international agencies, the coverage achieved has been inadequate and is usually not sustainable without external support. For this reason, there has been increasing emphasis on a sustainable dietary approach to the prevention of subclinical vitamin A deficiency. One part of this can be the production and use of red palm oil as a salad and cooking oil or blended into other vegetable cooking oils. The latter will also improve the caloric density of the diets, a serious limiting factor for young children in the region. It will also add antioxidant activity to the diet.