Antioxidant Intake in Sickle Cell Disease

Objectives: To determine whether there were differences in total dietary intake of antioxidants between clients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and controls and to examine whether the total dietary intake of antioxidants in both groups was in keeping with recommended dietary intakes by the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI). Methods: This case-control study was conducted using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) among 42 clients with SCD and 42 normal controls who were matched for age and gender. Participants were clients with SCD of varying phenotypes – Thalassemia, HbSS and HbSc who were recruited from the Sickle Cell Unit at Tropical Medicine Research Unit and controls were healthy individuals free from SCD enlisted from the community and environs of The University of the West Indies. Results: There were 65.5% female and 34.5 % male participants. The mean age of all participants was 35.4 years and their ages ranged from 18-69 years. There was no difference in age by group (p=0.19). The levels of intake of 12 antioxidants were examined (Vitamin B group, Vitamin E group, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Selenium). There were no statistical differences in the mean intake level of each antioxidant between controls and cases. The study also found that all participants consumed antioxidants in excess of Recommended Dietary Allowances with the exception of zinc (mean intake level= 14.4 µg/d; RDA= 55-70 µg/d). Conclusion: There was no difference in the antioxidant intake between clients with SCD and their controls and the daily intake of both groups were higher than CFNI’s daily recommendations. The study indicates that participants had adequate and higher than RDA intake levels for antioxidants which facilitates cell turnover and Red Blood Cell formation in clients with Sickle Cell Disease