title: Vitamin B-6 status and bioavailability in vegetarian women.
abstract: It has been hypothesized that the vitamin B-6 status of vegetarians and nonvegetarians may differ in relation to bioavailability of vitamin B-6. Fasting blood samples and 24-h urine collections were obtained from 13 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) vegetarian and 16 non-SDA nonvegetarian women aged 50-83 y. The two groups were further subdivided into vitamin users and nonusers. Dietary intake was estimated from a 3-d diet record. Plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) was measured by an enzymatic method. Vitamin B-6 intakes were similar and provided 85% of the RDA for both groups. The vegetarians consumed significantly more crude fiber than the nonvegetarians. No significant differences were found between the two groups for plasma PLP, urinary 4-pyridoxic acid, and urinary vitamin B-6 among vitamin nonusers or for age categories within groups. There appeared to be no adverse effect of fiber on the availability or metabolism of vitamin B-6 between these free-living groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Foods and Nutrition, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Shultz
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Leklem
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001682:Biological Availability; D004032:Diet; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D011736:Pyridoxine