1.
School Feeding to Improve Cognitive Performance in Disadvantaged Children: A 3-Arm Parallel Controlled Trial in Northwest Pakistan.
Lowe, NM, Qualter, P, Sinclair, JK, Gupta, S, Zaman, M
Nutrients. 2023;(7)
Abstract
Malnutrition is associated with reduced learning aptitude and growth during childhood. We examined the impact of providing two school lunch variants, a standard school meal (school feeding, n = 70), or the standard meal with additional micronutrients (school feeding + micronutrient powder (MNP), n = 70), in children attending two schools in northwest Pakistan. A third local government school, where no lunch was provided (no school feeding, n = 70), served as the control. The primary outcome, cognitive function, was assessed using the Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test, alongside haemoglobin, at three-time points: T1 (baseline, before the initiation of the school lunch programme), T2 and T3 (5 and 12 months, respectively, after the introduction of the school lunch). Data were analysed using linear mixed-effects models to contrast between trial groups, the changes from T1 to T2 and T3. Adjusted for T1 and other co-variates, improvements in the RCPM scores were significantly greater in the school feeding group at T2 (b = 1.61, (95% CI = 0.71-2.52), t = 3.52, p = 0.001) and T3 (b = 1.28, (95% CI = 0.22-2.35), t = 2.38, p = 0.019) compared with no school feeding. In addition, at T2 (b = 1.63, (95% CI = -0.10-3.37), t = 1.86, p = 0.065), there were no significant differences between school feeding + MNP and no school feeding groups. However, improvements in the RCPM scores were significantly greater in the school feeding + MNP group at T3 (b = 2.35, (95% CI = 0.51-4.20), t = 2.53, p = 0.013) compared with no school feeding. The findings indicate an improvement in cognitive performance in children who received a school meal with and without MNP, over a 12-month period. Currently there is no operational school feeding programme at the national or provincial level in Pakistan. Our findings, therefore, highlight the need for school feeding programmes to improve learning opportunities for children from underprivileged communities.
2.
Vitamin E supplementation may ameliorate oxidative stress in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients.
Gupta, S, Sharma, TK, Kaushik, GG, Shekhawat, VP
Clinical laboratory. 2011;(5-6):379-86
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence in both experimental and clinical studies suggests that free radical mediated oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of both types of diabetes mellitus. Proteins and lipids are among the prime targets for oxidative stress. In this study we evaluated oxidative stress in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, IDDM) patients by estimating lipid peroxidation and the effect of vitamin E on oxidative stress and metabolic parameters. METHODS A total of 40 children (20 Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients + 20 healthy controls) were examined in the study. Oxidative stress parameters malondialdehyde (MDA), antioxidants, reduced glutathione (GSH), vitamin E and metabolic parameters were studied. All the type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients were supplemented with 600 mg/daily vitamin E for three months. After three months of supplementation all the parameters mentioned above were studied again. RESULTS Reduced glutathione and vitamin E levels were lower and malondialdehyde levels were higher in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). After supplementation with vitamin E in diabetic patients a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in MDA levels and significant increase in GSH (p < 0.05) and vitamin E (p < 0.05) levels were found. A negative correlation between MDA and vitamin E, between MDA and GSH and a positive correlation between vitamin E and GSH was found. Significant changes were not observed in metabolic parameters in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients after vitamin E supplementation (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Vitamin E ameliorates oxidative stress in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus patients and improves antioxidant defense system. However, vitamin E does not have any advantage for metabolic parameters.