If you enjoy eating lettuce in your salads, sandwiches, and burgers, you'll be thrilled to learn about the development of a new type of lettuce called "golden lettuce." Scientists have genetically engineered this lettuce to be rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A is added to the lettuce through a process called biofortification, which involves increasing the nutrient density of food crops without compromising the qualities preferred by consumers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
By using biotechnological techniques and treatments with high light intensity, scientists multiplied the levels of beta-carotene in leaves up to 30 times by creating new places to store it without affecting vital processes such as photosynthesis. Beta-carotene is the main precursor of vitamin A in the human diet. Beta-carotene has antioxidant, immunostimulant and cognitive-enhancing properties.
Specifically, beta-carotene is the primary precursor of retinoids, chemical compounds with essential bodily functions (vision, cell proliferation and differentiation, immune system), including vitamin A. High levels of the antioxidant, beta-carotene, give this lettuce a yellow colour. Also Read: This Beta Carotene-Rich Soup Is Ideal For Your Nourishment - Expert Shares Recipe "Micronutrient deficiency, also known as hidden hunger, is still a major problem in many countries.
In particular, vitamin A deficiency causes xerophthalmia and can lead to other health problems and even death, affecting children .