Vitamin A Equivalence of the Provitamin A in Biofortified Bananas

The objective will be to quantify the vitamin A equivalence of the provitamin A in transgenic biofortified bananas.

Inclusion Criteria:

• General good health as determined by interview, blood biochemistry profile, and complete blood count
• Antecubital veins amenable to blood collection

Exclusion Criteria:

• Adverse reactions to blood sample collection
• History of anemia or excessive bleeding
• Cigarette smoking, frequent alcohol consumption
• Use of vitamin/mineral supplements
• Food allergies
• Lactose intolerance
• Abnormal thyroid status
• Chronic disease, lipid malabsorption or gastrointestinal disorders
• Hyper- or hypolipidemia
• Body mass index (BMI) > 28
• History of eating disorder or restrained eating
• Current or planned pregnancy; menstrual cycle irregularities or abnormalities
• Use of hormonal contraceptives (affects chylomicron clearance); use of medications that may affect lipid absorption or transport