The effect of zinc-biofortified rice on zinc status of Bangladeshi preschool children: a randomized, double-masked, household-based, controlled trial

Zinc biofortification of rice could sustainably improve zinc status in countries where zinc deficiency is common and rice is a staple, but its efficacy has not been tested. Fatty acid desaturases (FADS) are putative new zinc status biomarkers. Our objective was to test the efficacy of zinc-biofortified rice (BFR) in preschool-aged children with zinc deficiency. Our hypothesis was that consumption of BFR would increase plasma zinc concentration (PZC). We conducted a 9-mo, double-masked intervention trial in 12–36-mo-old rural Bangladeshi children, most of whom were zinc-deficient (PZC 0.05). There was a time–treatment interaction for height-for-age z-scores (P < 0.001) favoring the BFR group. The morbidity longitudinal prevalence ratio was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.12) comparing the BFR and CR groups, due to more upper respiratory tract illness in the BFR group. Consumption of BFR for 9 mo providing ∼1 mg of additional zinc daily to Bangladeshi children did not significantly affect PZC, prevalence of zinc deficiency, or FADS activity. The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03079583. ▪