Effects of a nutritional supplement fortified with vitamin B-12 on well nourished, free-living elderly subjects.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency is prevalent among the elderly population but it is often unrecognized because the clinical manifestations are not present.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of a nutritional supplement fortified with vitamin B-12 on well nourished, free-living elderly subjects.


METHODS
Healthy elderly subjects attending two of four clinics were allocated to receive, over six months' duration, a nutritional supplement with 3.8 microg of vitamin B-12. Subjects attending the other two clinics served as controls. Serum vitamin B-12 levels were measured at baseline and 6 months after the supplementation was started.


RESULTS
After 6 months of consuming the supplement fortified with vitamin B-12, serum B-12 concentration increased from 350.1 +/- 166.5 pmol/L to 409.0 +/- 166.1 and decreased in the control group from 319.4 +/- 129.1 to 290.1 +/- 135.7 (ANOVA, p < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
A supplementation with 3.8 microg /day of vitamin B-12 led to significant improvements in the serum concentrations of vitamin B-12 in older persons.
Hirsch
Sandra
S
INTA, University of Chile, Santiago. shirsch@inta.cl
Leiva
Laura
L
de la Maza
Pía
P
Gattás
Vivian
V
Barrera
Gladys
G
Hertrampf
Eva
E
Bunout
Daniel
D
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006454:Hemoglobins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D014805:Vitamin B 12