VITAMIN-E, VITAMIN-C, THIAMIN, RIBOFLAVIN AND VITAMIN-B6 STATUS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERLY INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF SUPPLEMENTATION

A double-blind placebo trial of vitamins E, C, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin B-6 has been undertaken in 84 elderly institutionalized subjects (31 men and 53 women, aged > 65y). Five-day records and biochemical determinations were used to assess vitamin status. The 1992 French Recommended Dietary Allowance (FRDA) and the RDA set in the United States were used to assess adequacy of intake. At baseline, vitamin status as assessed by dietary information and biochemical indices appeared deficient except for riboflavin (in females only). At the end of one month treatment with moderate doses of vitamins (100-400 % FRDA), serum vitamin E (only in males), serum ascorbate, and erythrocyte thiamin pyrophosphate levels had increased significantly. A significant improvement was also effected in erythrocyte transketolase, glutathione reductase, aspartate aminotransferase activation coefficients. This was accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of subjects with deficient values. However, the percentage of subjects with biochemical deciciency for thiamin, riboflavin (only in males), and vitamin B-6 remained > 5%.