title: Vitamin and trace element status of women with disordered eating.
abstract: We studied biochemical measures of vitamin B-6, zinc, and copper in a group of 96 women and vitamin A and vitamin E concentrations in 89 women, all suffering from an eating disorder. Twenty-three control subjects were studied. Eating-disorder patients not taking vitamin or mineral supplements had significantly higher plasma concentrations of vitamins A and E than did control subjects (also not taking supplements). No difference was found in indices indicating vitamin B-6 status or in plasma zinc or copper concentrations. Self-induced vomiting was the only significant predictor of upper-quartile vitamin A concentrations. Upper-quartile vitamin B-6 activations (indicating lower vitamin B-6 activity) were significantly predicted only by low actual body weight. These results suggest that supplementation of micronutrient intake needs only to be considered for those eating-disorder patients at low weight and then only with water-soluble vitamins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, Croydon, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mira
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Abraham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000097:blood; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000097:blood; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000097:blood*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; D011736:Pyridoxine