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Objective. To carry out a systematic review of the literature on the effectiveness of fortified rice consumption in terms of increasing levels of iron and other micronutrients in children aged 6-59 months, with a view to evaluating its usefulness as a public health intervention. Methods. A search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and LILACS databases. The review included randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that assessed the consumption of fortified rice, compared with a placebo or other forms of intervention, in terms of enhanced levels of iron and other micronutrients. The CONSORT® checklist was used to assess methodological quality. The risk of bias in the studies was assessed using the Cochrane® Collaboration methodology. Results. Seven RCTs were included in the review. All the studies showed significant improvements in indicators of nutritional iron status in the intervention groups, without reporting adverse effects. There was no evidence of improvement in vitamin A levels or in anthropometric indicators of weight and height as a secondary result of the intervention. The included studies showed moderate methodological quality. Conclusions. Rice fortification was an effective intervention strategy to correct iron deficiency in children under age 5. For implementation as a public health measure, local studies are needed to assess its effectiveness in long-term and large-scale interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective was to measure the effect of consumption of a beverage mixed with a highiron sweetener (evaporated sugarcane juice known as rapadura) on hemoglobin levels in preschool children, and to compare it with the effect of consuming the same beverage sweetened with refined sugar. Research consisted of a 12-week randomized, controlled double-blind trial conducted in 2007 at a state-run school in Sobral, Brazil, among children aged 2-3 years. The study sample was divided into two groups-one consuming cashew juice mixed with 25 g of rapadura and 40 mg of ascorbic acid (per 200-mL serving), and another consuming the same quantity of juice and ascorbic acid sweetened with 25 g of standard refined sugar. A significant statistical increase in hemoglobin was observed in the group consuming the rapadurafortified beverage. It was therefore concluded that consumption of rapadura increased hemoglobin and thus reduced iron deficiency anemia in preschool children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features American female bullfighter Patricia McCormick and her participation in a bullfighting competition in Juárez, Mexico in January 1952. McCormick was a fine-arts student at Texas Western College in El Paso, Texas when she decided to quit in order to study the art of bullfighting. The article also mentions the interest of McCormick to appear in films and television programs.