Vitamin-A deficiency is a serious condition that can lead to blindness and increase susceptibility to infectious agents. It affects an estimated 200 million people, primarily in developing countries where rice is a dietary staple. Using biotechnology techniques, scientists have developed a new strain of rice, called golden rice, that naturally produces beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A.

Golden Rice alone is not expected to solve the problem, but its use could significantly reduce the incidence of the VAD syndrome. Rice provides as much 80 percent or more of the daily caloric intake of 3 billion people—half the world's population. Many eat little else than rice. But other challenges such as poverty, lack of infrastructure and lack of education remain and should be dealt with by governments and policymakers.

The most common symptoms of Vitamin B12 are fatigue, memory loss, nausea, diarrhea, weakness abdominal pain and changes in mental status. Your doctor can perform simple blood tests in diagnosing B12 deficiency.

Prolonged vitamin A deficiency causes an eye condition called xerophthalmia, which can eventually lead to blindness. It also adversely affects children’s health in other ways and is associated with increased child mortality. The first clinical sign of xerophthalmia is night blindness: the eyes’ ability to adapt to darkness is greatly reduced. As the disease progresses, the conjunctiva dries up and white spots, known as Bitot’s spots, appear.

The Golden Rice Humanitarian Board is committed to the highest standards of safety assessment being conducted, and Golden Rice will only be made available for consumption after clearance by the relevant authorities according to national laws. The seeds have been donated under the licensed terms of the technology and it is for national regulatory authorities to determine the safety requirements.

the turn of the century, vitamin D deficiency led to an epidemic of rickets (softening of the bones) in U.S. urban centers. We solved the vitamin D deficiency largely through the fortification of foods. However, this fortification proved to be too much as peanut butter, hot dogs, soda, bread, and even beer were fortified with vitamin D. Excessive amounts of vitamin D also were added to some milk products, causing toxic amounts of vitamin D to reach infants and young children.

A severe vitamin deficiency – such as scurvy as a result of a vitamin C deficiency – no longer occurs in our part of the world for all practical purposes. If, however, you suffer from lack of appetite, fatigue, lack of concentration, irritability, increased proneness to infections as well as sleeplessness, apathy and skin changes, you may have a vitamin deficiency.

The inventors of Golden Rice are Ingo Potrykus, Professor emeritus of the Institute for Plant Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH, Zurich), and Professor Peter Beyer, of the Centre for Applied Biosciences, University of Freiburg, Germany with co-workers (Ye et al 2002). The search for a Golden Rice started off as a Rockefeller Foundation inititative in 1982. After years of research by various research groups a meeting of experts was convened in New York in 1992.

While the chances of out-crossing to non-transgenic rice are very low (but not zero) the relevant issue is what effect the genes would have if outcrossing occurred. No selective advantage for the recipient plants would be expected from the outcrossing of the carotenoid genes from Golden Rice. Let's not forget that practically all plants produce carotenoids, hence no new chemical compound is being introduced into the environment.

The amount of sunlight exposure needed to prevent vitamin D deficiency depends on such factors as skin pigmentation, latitude, degree of skin exposure, season, time of day, amount of pollution, degree of use of sunscreen, altitude, weather, the vitamin D status of the lactating mother, and the current status of vitamin D stores in the infant's body. Recommendations do and should, therefore, vary around the world, taking into account local conditions and practices.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a blood problem that occurs when there is not enough of this vitamin in the body. Vitamin B12 (also called cobalamin) helps make red blood cells . Red blood cells travel throughout the body carrying oxygen to the cells and removing wastes. Without enough vitamin B12, your body won't produce enough red blood cells and your cells won't get the oxygen they need.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 refers to the less-than-required levels of vitamin in the body. Cynocobalamin is needed for the formation of RBCs that carries oxygen; hence, deficiency of it may lead to anemia later followed by dementia. That leads to weakening and tiredness. It may also result in gastrointestinal disorders, neural tube defects, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disorder, depression etc.

Vitamin C Deficiency result in hemorrhages under the skin and a tendency to bruise effortlessly, poor wound healing, weakness, poor digestion, bleeding gums and loose teeth. Low levels of vitamin C have been related with a number of conditions including hypertension, gallbladder disease, stroke and some cancers. Edema (also called water retention) also takes place due to a Vitamin C deficiency, along with aching joints, bronchial infection and colds.

amp;#61558; "burning foot syndrome" - numbness and tingling, together with burning and shooting pain in the feet

Vitamin A is important not only for good eyesight but for other vital functions as well, including normal growth and cell division. It also plays a key role in the body’s overall resistance to infectious organisms that cause diarrheal diseases, measles and other illnesses. Numerous studies have shown that even mild, subclinical vitamin A deficiency significantly increases susceptibility to illness and is associated with up to a 54 percent rise in child mortality.

In the short term, the distribution of vitamin A capsules to affected communities is the only way to control vitamin A deficiency. A single capsule, costing just a few cents, is sufficient to meet the requirements of one person for four to six months. In the medium term, people can be adequately supplied with vitamin A by fortification of suitable foodstuffs. Successful large-scale trials using fortified sugar, monosodium glutamate, margarine or noodles have already been concluded.

A10. All the Vitamin A Deficiencies can be cured. The scar of Bitot's spot may take sometime to clear and even if it remains, it does not affect the vision. However, scar of the corneal ulcer may persist even after cure. Therefore they have to be prevented early in life. Moreover early intervention is critical for survival of the child.

The Genetic Engineering (GE) industry claims vitamin A rice could save thousands of children from blindness and millions of malnourished people from vitamin A deficiency (VAD) related diseases. However, a simple calculation based on the product developers' own figures show an adult would have to eat at least 12 times the normal intake of 300 grams to get the daily recommended amount of provitamin A. Greenpeace calculations show that an adult would have to eat at least 3.

The inventors, Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer, recognized early on that while they had an important technical achievement in their hands, they required an additional set of skills and expertise to get their invention to those who needed it most.

Syngenta has no commercial interest in Golden Rice in respect of its potential use or application in developing countries. It does not see a commercial market for Golden Rice in the developed world either. The technology is being donated by the inventors and Syngenta to the resource-poor farmers of developing countries.

The first Golden Rice field trials using three selected GR1 transgenic events, together with two other transformation events created by Dr Hoa of Vietnam (produced while working at ETH, Zurich and at Peter Beyer's laboratory in Freiburg) were harvested in Louisiana, USA in September 2004.

There are medicines, called antivirals, approved for use in the U.S. to prevent and treat flu. These “antiviral” medicines fight many kinds of flu. Health experts think antivirals could provide some protection against pandemic flu but it will depend on the virus. Antivirals are most effective when used as soon as possible after symptoms appear. The federal government has a national stockpile of antiviral medicines. Despite the stockpiling effort, there may not be enough for everyone.

Preformed vitamin A is not needed by the body, it can be synthesized by ingestion of carotene (often called provitamin A). Excess consumption of pre-formed Vitamin A can be dangerous. Good Carotene sources include: Green leafy vegetables, yellow fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia usually develops when your body cannot absorb this vitamin from food. This can happen if:1, 2 You have pernicious anemia. In pernicious anemia, your body destroys the cells in your stomach needed to help your body absorb vitamin B12. You have had surgery to remove part of your stomach or the last section of your small intestine (ileum ).

Your doctor will do a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. You will also have blood tests, such as: Complete blood count (CBC). This test gives important information about the kinds and numbers of cells in the blood. Having a low red blood cell count is a sign of anemia. Methylmalonic acid and homocysteine tests. The amount of these substances in the blood rises as the level of vitamin B12 decreases. Vitamin B12 and folic acid tests.

You will normally get enough vitamin B12 if you eat a varied diet that includes animal products such as milk, cheese, and eggs. People who follow a vegan diet can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency anemia by eating foods fortified with this vitamin or by taking vitamin B12 supplements or multivitamins. Babies born to women who eat a vegan diet are at increased risk for developing this type of anemia. They should be checked by a doctor to see whether they need vitamin B12 supplements.

Common signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, weakness, faulty digestion, nausea, loss of menstruation, numbness nervousness, diarrhea, striking behavioral changes, paranoia, hyperactive reflexes, fever, frequent upper respiratory infections, impaired memory, infertility, sore tongue, low platelet count and increased bleeding, neutropenia etc.

amp;#61558; digestive problems - proper digestion is required to release vitamin B5 from the CoA form and allow it to be absorbed into the body from the small intestine.

article in this week's New England Journal of Medicine charges that the government's current recommendations for vitamin D intake are woefully inadequate. The author, Dr. Michel Holick, claims that the current guidelines, which recommend 200 IU per day, are not enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency in most people. Dr. Holick would like to see the RDA increased to 800-1,000 IU per day. Without enough vitamin D, your body absorbs only a fraction of the calcium you take in. According to Dr.

A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported a link between Vitamin C deficiency and gallbladder disease. The study of 13,000 men and women replicated the results of earlier studies in both humans and animals. The National Academies Institute of Medicine recommends a daily limit of up to but not exceeding 2,000 mg/day. Of course, other notable researchers such as Dr. Linus Pauling have shown positive heath effects when consuming more than this as well.