B Vitamins, Vitamin C and Hematological Measurements
in Overweight and Obese Thais in Bangkok
TALABPORN HARNROONGROJ, B.Sc., M.Sc., Dr.oec.troph.*, PORNRUTSAMI JINTARIDHI, B.Sc., M.Sc.*,
NIYOMSRI VUDHIV AI, B.Sc., M.Sc.*, PRANEET PONGPAEW, B.Sc., M.S., M.Sc.*,
RUNGSUNN TUNGTRONGCHITR, Ph.D.*, BENJALUCK PHONRAT, M.Sc.**,
SUPRANEE CHANGBUMRUNG, B.Sc., M.Sc., Dr.agr.*, FRANK PETER SCHELP, Dr.med., D.T.M.&H., D.Sc.***
Affiliation : * Department of Tropical Nutrition and Food Science,
** Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400,
Thailand.
*** Department of Epidemiology, Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Free University, Berlin, Germany.
AbstractThe dynamic changes of socio-economics leading to the industrialisation of countries are
known to affect lifestyle and nutritional behaviours of the population. Review of the literature on
the prevalence of obesity showed increasing numbers of the overweight and obese during the past
decade. However, information on health and nutritional status of the obese in Thailand has not
been widely publicized. This study reveals the vitamin status and hematological picture in 270
overweight and obese Thais in Bangkok, Thailand, compared with 175 normal subjects. No statis
tically significant differences in haemoglobin and hematocrit were observed in the overweight
compared with the control subjects. The prevalence of anaemia was 9.8 per cent among male and
17..2 per cent among female overweight and obese subjects compared with 2.6 per cent and 21.2
per cent in male and female normal controls using the cut-off point of haemoglobin concentration
as an indicator of anaemia. Prevalence of hypertension was exhibited in both male and female
overweight and obese subjects. Even if there were no statistically significant differences in vitamin
B B and B in overweight and obese subjects compared with the controls, high percentages of
,
1 2 6
vitamin C and vitamin B deficiencies were observed. Vitamin B deficiency was detected in 19.7
2 2
per cent of overweight and obese males as well as in 28.7 per cent of overweight and obese
females using glutathione reductase activity coefficient (a EGR) < 1.5 as the cut-off point. How
ever, clinical signs of vitamin B deficiencies were rare. There was also a high percentage of
2
vitamin C (antioxidant vitamin) deficiency in 51.5 per cent of the overweight and obese subjects
and 41.7 per cent of the controls, respectively. The results suggest more attention should be paid
to health study and nutritional problems for the overweight and obese population, especially con
cerning vitamins and oxidative stress. Further research is still needed in these aspects.
Keywords : Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pyridoxin, Vitamin C, Anaemia, Obese
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