Vitamin C status in elderly women: A comparison between women living in a nursing home and women living independently

Vitamin C Transporter Gene Polymorphisms, Dietary Vitamin C and Serum Ascorbic Acid

“…There is substantial variability in the serum ascorbic acid response to a given amount of dietary vitamin C [10] , even when controlling for known determinants of serum ascorbic acid such as age [11] , sex [12,13] , smoking [12,14] , body weight [10,15] , physical activity [16] and season [14] . Genetic variation can also explain some of the individual variability observed in serum ascorbic acid response to dietary vitamin C, with the common haptoglobin polymorphism [17,18] , and glutathione-S-transferase deletion polymorphisms [19,20] , influencing serum ascorbic acid concentrations.…”

Laboratory Analysis of Vitamin C in Vegetables Served in Eldercare Facilities and Evaluation of Related Public Nutrient Database Information

“…These particular vegetables were selected because they were served with relative frequency at each facility and are important common sources of vitamin C. 20 Their analysis and interpretation, as opposed to mixed vegetable samples, are also the most straightforward. These facilities provide a mixture of short-term postacute specialty rehabilitation services, long-term nursing home services, and long-term semi-independent assisted living services.…”

“…Vitamin C has been shown to have anticarcinogenic effects, anti-inflammatory affects, and benefits in reducing oxidative damage. [20][21][22][23] Hospital patients can be inordinately deficient of this nutrient. [15][16][17][18][19] Furthermore, adequate intake of vitamin C was found to be a concern as people age and become institutionalized.…”

Vitamin C and Eye Health

“…Scurvy may be increasing among the institution- alized elderly and alcoholics in the United States (40). Borderline to deficient vitamin C status is relatively more common among some risk groups in developed countries, such as institutionalized older women (41) and elderly men living alone in the community (42). In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) II, 3% of the overall population aged 3-74 yr and 16% of black males aged 55-74 yr had low plasma vitamin C concentrations (43).…”