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  • Title: Changes in vitamin status of Indian Antarctic expeditioners during a one-month stay in Austral Summer.
    Author: Vats P, Singh SN, Singh VK, Shyam R, Upadhyay TN, Singh SB, Banerjee PK.
    Journal: Wilderness Environ Med; 2007; 18(4):258-63. PubMed ID: 18076290.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Antarctic expeditioners face extremes of environmental conditions along with isolation which affect normal human activity at a polar station. Diets of polar expeditioners consist of products that have been kept in storage for more than a year. Processing and preservation adversely affect the nutritive value of the food products, especially water-soluble vitamins. This study was conducted to determine water-soluble vitamin status of Antarctic expeditioners consuming processed canned food. METHODS: Twenty-two healthy male volunteers age 26 to 56 years (39.5+/-8.5, mean+/-SD) participated in the study. The study was conducted in 3 phases: at Goa, India (phase I), 48 hours after arriving in Antarctica (phase II) and after 1 month in Antarctica (phase III). Water-soluble vitamin status in erythrocytes was assessed at each phase with evaluation of riboflavin, thiamine, and pyridoxine status. Urinary N-methyl nicotinamide and methylmalonic acid (MMA) levels were measured to assess niacin and vitamin B(12) status. Blood plasma assays were used to assess ascorbic acid status. RESULTS: No significant changes in riboflavin, thiamine, and pyridoxine status in erythrocytes and urinary excretion levels were observed after 1 month in Antarctica. Vitamin C levels decreased significantly (P<.001) after 1 month in Antarctica compared with basal values (1.31+/-0.076 mg/dL during phase I to 0.81+/-0.063 mg/dL during phase III). However, these levels were still within the normal reference range. CONCLUSION: This study found no water-soluble vitamin deficiencies in participants consuming processed and canned food after 1 month in Antarctica.
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