How well do kids' bodies use vitamin A from pumpkin vs. spinach?
Extraction of carotenoids from feces, enabling the bioavailability of beta-carotene to be studied in Indonesian children.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists wanted to know how well kids can use vitamin A from pumpkin and spinach. Instead of taking blood, they used poop to measure it — which is easier and doesn’t hurt. They gave kids special pumpkin or spinach with a label that shows how much vitamin A their body absorbs.
Surprising Findings
Fecal analysis gave nearly identical results to serum analysis for beta-carotene bioavailability.
Scientists usually rely on blood tests to measure nutrient absorption; using poop was thought to be less accurate, but this study shows it may be just as reliable.
Practical Takeaways
Consider including pumpkin more often in children's diets, especially in areas with high vitamin A deficiency.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists wanted to know how well kids can use vitamin A from pumpkin and spinach. Instead of taking blood, they used poop to measure it — which is easier and doesn’t hurt. They gave kids special pumpkin or spinach with a label that shows how much vitamin A their body absorbs.
Surprising Findings
Fecal analysis gave nearly identical results to serum analysis for beta-carotene bioavailability.
Scientists usually rely on blood tests to measure nutrient absorption; using poop was thought to be less accurate, but this study shows it may be just as reliable.
Practical Takeaways
Consider including pumpkin more often in children's diets, especially in areas with high vitamin A deficiency.
Publication
Journal
Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
Year
2003
Authors
M. van Lieshout, C. West, P. van de Bovenkamp, Yan Wang, Yongkai Sun, R. V. van Breemen, Dewi Permaesih Muhilal, M. Verhoeven, A. Creemers, J. Lugtenburg
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Claims (3)
Scientists made a new way to measure how well kids absorb vitamin A from pumpkin or spinach by testing their poop — no needles needed!
In Indonesian kids, pumpkin gives the body about 1.8 times more vitamin A (from beta-carotene) than spinach does, but some kids get way more and others way less — it really varies from person to person.
Kids absorb beta-carotene from pumpkin and spinach differently, and poop tests show almost the same difference as blood tests—so maybe we can use poop instead of blood to check nutrition without needing a needle.