title: Influence of daily diet on ascorbic acid supply to students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Researchers suspect that the accepted adequate ascorbic acid plasma concentration is not being met even after dietary intake of the recommended amount of vitamin C. Current dietary intake recommendation in Poland is 60 mg per day for women and 75 mg per day for man (EAR), while in Western Europe and North America is higher and amounts to 75-90 mg per day.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The paper aimed at studying a correlation between composition of nutrients in daily diet and plasma vitamin C levels in university students. Materials and methods. This study examined diet composition and the nutritional status of ascorbic acid in plasma of 120 university students in Szczecin, Poland. Ascorbic acid was determined in blood plasma using HPLC method. The information concerning diet composition was collected using the method of "7-days food record" prior to blood collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma ascorbic acid deficiency (<40 μmol/L) was observed in 23% of women and 28% of men. The average plasma ascorbic acid concentration was 48.65 μmol/L in women and 45.61 μmol/L in men. The average intake of vitamin C in women with observed deficiency was average 46.55 mg/day, whereas in men it was 48.56 mg/day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The recommendation of dietary intake of vitamin C in Poland is low in comparison to other countries. Population- based studies are necessary to determine the actual demand for vitamin C in various population groups in Poland. Key words: nutrition, vitamins, dietary intake, diet, ascorbic acid, plasma.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Biochemistry and Human Nutrition, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczuko
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Seidler
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stachowska
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olszewska
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakubowska
authors.forename: Izabela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gutowska
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chlubek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011044:Poland; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid