Effect of supplementary groundnut flour fortified with vitamins and minerals on retention of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus in children subsisting on a rice diet.

In an earlier publication from this laboratory,
Joseph et al1 reported that undernourished
children, subsisting on a poor Indian rice diet
maintained on an average, slight positive nitrogen
and calcium balances, which were inadequate
for promoting optimum growth of the children.
Subrahmanyan et al2,3, Joseph et al4 and
Tasker et al5 have reported that supplementation
of the poor rice diet daily with 2 oz. of Indian
multipurpose food or a low-cost protein food
(based on blends of groundnut flour, Bengalgram
flour and coconut meal, fortified with
vitamins and minerals) brought about significant
increases in the growth and nutritional status and
also in the retention of nitrogen, calcium and
phosphorus in children. In the preceding
paper, Doraiswamy et al6 have reported that
supplementation of the diet of undernourished
children daily with 50 g. of groundnut flour
fortified with vitamins and minerals for a period
of 6 months brought about a marked improvement
in their growth and nutritional status.
The present paper describes the results of
studies on the effect of the groundnut flour
supplement on the metabolism of nitrogen,
calcium and phosphorus in children.