Global Challenges Academy

Unintentional overdosing of vitamin A

Unintentional Overdosing of Vitamin A

  • Goal 2: Zero Hunger
  • Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
  • Partnered with: IAEA; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA; International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Penn State University, USA; University of California, Davis, USA; University of California, Berkeley, USA
  • Region: South and Southeast Asia, Central America

One-third of children in low-income countries are deficient in vitamin A, and an estimated 157,000 children worldwide die each year because of vitamin A deficiency. However, the current intake of vitamin A may be excessive because it is being added to many foods and is provided routinely in the form of high potency supplements.

How we are meeting this challenge

  • Informing guidance and recommendation for future nutrition programmes, by determining safe levels of vitamin A intake and helping to avoid the risk of unintentional overdosing.
  • Our work will prevent children from excess Vitamin A intake due to overlapping intervention programmes.
  • Using state of the art isotope dilution techniques, we're monitoring dietary and biochemical assessments to assess liver and bone function as well as vitamin A status.
Rice.

Who will benefit

Young people living in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Guatemala that are at risk of Vitamin A overdosing. This can lead to nausea, dizziness, bone and joint pain and in severe cases liver failure and haemorrhage.

Project team

  • Professor Georg Lietz
  • IAEA
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
  • International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
  • Penn State University, USA
  • University of California, USA
  • University of California, USA 

Further information

If you would like to find out further information about this research project read New study to explore the unintentional overdosing of vitamin A.

Let's work together

If you're interested in working with us on a future research project, or would like to collaborate, email us today: global.challenges@ncl.ac.uk