title: Dietary vitamin c supplementation and common laboratory values in the elderly.
abstract: The effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin C on several common laboratory values were assessed in 27 elderly patients in long-stay wards. The patients had shown low plasma ascorbic acid concentrations before the study. During three consecutive periods of six weeks the patients received either placebo or moderate (200 mg/day) or high (2000 mg/day) doses of vitamin C. There was a significant rise of serum folate concentration after both doses of vitamin C. A decrease of serum uric acid concentration after high doses of vitamin C was found. Supplementation with vitamin C did not affect other values of laboratory examinations determined. The results suggest that dietary supplementation with either moderate or high doses of vitamin C has only very few and small influences on common laboratory values in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Koskela Hospital and National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kyllästinen
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Elfving
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gref
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aro