PREVALENCE OF RIBOFLAVIN DEFICIENCY AMONG GUATEMALAN ELDERLY PEOPLE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO MILK INTAKE

Six groups of elderly subjects from central Guatemala were assessed fo r riboflavin status by using the erythrocyte glutathione reductase act ivity coefficient (EGRAC). The prevalence of riboflavin deficiency ran ged from 50% to 76% among the free-living rural elderly subjects. Milk intake data that were collected from some of the subjects showed a si gnificant correlation (P < 0.0001) between frequency of milk intake an d riboflavin status. In a short-term riboflavin supplementation experi ment in which nine riboflavin-deficient subjects were given 10 mg ribo flavin/d for 3 d, all the subjects' EGRACs were normalized by the supp lementation. However, they returned to a state of deficiency within 2 wk while consuming their usual diets without supplementation. It appea rs that the high prevalence of riboflavin deficiency in elderly Guatem alan people is caused by inadequate intake of riboflavin-rich foods su ch as dairy products, and that sufficient amounts of riboflavin need t o be ingested regularly to maintain satisfactory riboflavin status.