COMPARISON OF 2 LEVELS OF VITAMIN-C SUPPLEMENTATION ON ANTIOXIDANT VITAMIN STATUS IN ELDERLY INSTITUTIONALIZED SUBJECTS

The concentrations of antioxidant vitamins, particularly vitamin C, ar e often low in the plasma of institutionalized elderly subjects, and c ould explain their susceptibility to oxidative stress. However as such low levels were not always found in home-living healthy elderly perso ns, the antioxidant vitamin depletion in the formers could result from environmental conditions better than aging itself. The objective of t his study was therefore to verify the antioxidant vitamin status in in stitutionalized elderly persons and to evaluate if a low vit C supplem ent could be sufficient to improve the plasma vit C concentration in t hose subjects. This study confirms that plasma vitamin C levels are in the scurvy range in 20 elderly institutionalized subjects and signifi cantly lower than in healthy home-living elderly persons. Beta-caroten e concentrations were found marginally low but alpha-tocopherol levels were in the normal range. AIL three vitamins were correlated. Fifteen days on a physiological vitamin C (150 mg/day) supplementation was su fficient to restore normal vit C levels (50 mu mol/l). A further pharm acological vit C administration (750 mg/day) during 30 days only allow ed a marginal increase in the plasma vit C concentrations.