Results and Interpretation of Three Field Trials of Lysine Fortification of Cereals

摘要

The Task Force on Amino Acid Fortification of Cereals evaluated three large field trials of lysine fortification of cereals: maize in Guatemala, rice in Thailand, and wheat in Tunisia. Each trial lasted about 4 years and studied the effects of lysine fortification on selected nutritional status and health indicators. Only the Guatemala trial found statistically significant beneficial associations--reductions in morbidity and mortality. However, these associations might also reflect a selection bias. The report concludes that the trials either failed to meet the underlying biological assumptions or suffered from deficiencies in design that impaired interpretation of results. Therefore their findings cannot address the question of whether lysine can have a beneficial effect on fetal and child growth, health, or survival in populations where energy intake is adequate and protein intake inedequate.