title: Vitamin E status in Italian children subsisting on a Mediterranean diet.
abstract: Serum vitamin E levels and food intake of 83 Italian children subsisting on a 'Mediterranean-type' diet were measured. Total fat intake was 66 g/d and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intake was 7.6 g/d. The dietary ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids (P/S) was 0.30. Vitamin E intake was estimated to be about 4.5 mg/d and the theoretical requirement, calculated on the basis of their PUFA intake was 4.6 mg/d. The mean serum concentration of vitamin E was found to be 1.02 mg/dl which is similar or higher than reported by others. No correlation was found between serum level of vitamin E and total or HDL cholesterol, while a slightly significant correlation was found between PUFA intake and serum vitamin E. We conclude that the Mediterranean type of diet, characterized by a relatively low P/S ratio and PUFA content, provides a satisfactory vitamin E status.
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000378:metabolism*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D014810:Vitamin E; D002784:Cholesterol