Vitamin C intake and plasma level among aged people in Finland
Roine, P.; Koivula, L.; Pekkarinen, M.; Rissanen, A.
International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. Internationale Zeitschrift für Vitamin- und Ernahrungsforschung. Journal International de Vitaminologie et de Nutrition 44(1): 95-106
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-9831 PMID: 4838356 Document Number: 76933
Study was of a total of 135 persons aged 50 to 94 years in old people's homes in Helsinki or in rural Finland or living at home. All were healthy volunteers, seen in autumn, winter or early spring between October 1969 and January 1971. Diet was studied partly by interview for those at home, otherwise by weighing, and samples were analysed. Plasma ascorbic acid was estimated for the 82 persons who could provide blood samples in all 3 seasons, and who had not taken vitamin pills. Owing to low intake of vegetables and fruit, intake of ascorbic acid was very low for most people. Of the 135, 5% got under 10 mg, 30% under 20 mg and 60% under 30 mg daily. Intake varied widely between persons, e.g., 3 to 175 mg for those at home. Plasma ascorbic acid was under 0.1 mg/100 ml for 24% of persons and acceptable, over 0.2 mg/100 ml, for only 59%; in winter it was under 0.1 mg/ml for 486 and acceptable for 32%. Reasons for low plasma value of ascorbic acid for old persons, and for the differences between sexes (value was higher for women) are not known. There was no relation between intake and plasma values, all being very low. Only 2 women in a rural home had anaemia and 22 persons had signs perhaps due to ascorbic acid deficiency, slightly related to the lowest plasma values among the men. Tables give for each sex and for the Helsinki, rural and home groups the mean age, height, bodyweight and intake of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate and ascorbic acid.