Pneumonia and Vitamin A in China

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Vitamin A is needed for immunity and is cheap • Vitamin A (which is retinol) and immunity • WHO report • https://www.who.int/emergencies/disea... • https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin... • Vitamin A has several important functions • helping natural defence against illness and infection (immune system) work properly • helping vision in dim light • keeping skin and the lining of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy • Good sources of vitamin A • Good sources of vitamin A (retinol) include: • cheese • eggs • oily fish • fortified low-fat spreads • milk and yoghurt • liver and liver pâté • If you're pregnant you should avoid eating liver or liver products, (NHS, 2023) • Excess vitamin A is toxic. • Vitamin A deficiency • https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nl... • What are the consequences and implications? • Night blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency. • In its more severe forms, vitamin A deficiency contributes to blindness by making the cornea very dry, thus damaging the retina and cornea. • An estimated 250 000–500 000 children who are vitamin A-deficient become blind every year, • and half of them die within 12 months of losing their sight. • World’s leading preventable cause of childhood blindness. • Deficiency of vitamin A is associated with significant morbidity and mortality from common childhood infections, • Vitamin A deficiency also contributes to maternal mortality and other poor outcomes of pregnancy and lactation. • It also diminishes the ability to fight infections. • Even mild, subclinical deficiency can be a problem, because it may increase children's risk for respiratory and diarrhoeal infections, • decrease growth rates, • slow bone development and decrease the likelihood of survival from serious illness. • Beta carotene • Red-orange pigment, in plants and fruits, • • especially carrots and colourful vegetables. • The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A • The advantage of dietary beta carotene is that the body only converts as much as it needs. • Healthy antioxidant • May prevent cognitive decline • https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama... • May help lung function • https://thorax.bmj.com/content/61/4/320 • Both may be due to preventing oxidative stress • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/arti... • Foods rich in beta carotene: • Apricots, Asparagus, Broccoli, Carrots, Chives, Dandelion leaves, Grapefruit, (Chilli powder, oregano, paprika, parsley), Kale, • Onions, Peas, Peppers, Plums, Pumpkin, Spinach, Squash, Sweet potatoes. • Role of Vitamin A in the Immune System • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti... • Needed for mucous membrane innate immunity (respiratory and GI) • Essential for the normal function of many immune cells such as T lymphocytes • • Vitamin A deficiency is associated with severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children • https://www.youtube.com/redirect?even... • Beijing, Feb, 2020 • N = 122 children, (0 – 15) • 52 sMPP • Severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia • 70 nsMPP • Non-severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia • Serum levels of vitamins A, D, and E were measured and compared, and correlated with nsMPP and sMPP. • Results • The age was older in the sMPP samples than that in the nsMPP samples. • (7.12 vs. 4.01) • So older children suffered more severe infections. • Vitamin A deficiency was present in both the nsMPP and sMPP samples. • Vitamin A levels were significantly lower in the sMPP serum than that in the nsMPP serum. • (0.15 vs. 0.19) • Vitamin A deficiency was defined • Deficiency, less than 0.2 mg/L, • Subclinical vitamin A deficiency, 0.2–0.3 mg/L • Normal vitamin A level by 0.3–0.7 mg/L. • So, children with lower vitamin A levels suffered more severe infections. • Vitamins E and D levels were also lower in sMPP children • Vitamin E (7.4 vs. 8.22) • Vitamin D (23.08 vs. 32.07) • Both sMPP and nsMPP did not show a deficiency of vitamins E and D.

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