title: Are the Recommended Dietary Allowances for Vitamins Appropriate for Elderly People?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An adequate vitamin intake is essential for a good nutritional status, especially in older women, who are more sensitive to nutritional deficiencies. The American, European and Italian Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) derive mainly from studies on adults, and it is not clear whether they also apply to elderly people. Comparing the RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women could help to clarify the real needs of elderly people.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to compare the American, European, and Italian RDAs with the actual vitamin intake of a group of healthy older women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 286 healthy women aged older than 65 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  For each micronutrient, the 50th percentile of the distribution of its intake was considered as the average requirement, and the corresponding calculated RDA for our sample was the average requirement×1.2, as recommended by the US Food and Nutrition Board. This calculated RDA was then compared with the American, European, and Italian RDAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney test (after checking the normal distribution of the micronutrient) for continuous variables; the χ(2) test for categorical variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The calculated RDA were 2,230 μg retinol equivalents for vitamin A, 2.8 μg for vitamin B-12, 0.9 mg for thiamin, 1.4 mg for riboflavin, 3.6 mg for pantothenic acid, 1.4 mg for vitamin B-6, 320 μg for folic acid, and 115 mg for vitamin C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the current RDAs are adequate for older women's intake of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and folic acid, but should be raised for vitamin B-12 and for vitamin C.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bolzetta
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Rui
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berton
authors.forename: Elena Debora
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Toffanello
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carraro
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.forename: Eminè Meral
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Inelmen
authors.forename: Lorenzo Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Donini
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manzato
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coin
authors.forename: Egle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perissinotto
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000592:standards; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000592:standards; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000592:standards; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000592:standards; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000592:standards; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000592:standards*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010205:Pantothenic Acid / Q000592:standards; D064787:Portion Size / Q000592:standards; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D012256:Riboflavin / Q000592:standards; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000592:standards; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000592:standards; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018977:Micronutrients; D014801:Vitamin A; D010205:Pantothenic Acid; D025101:Vitamin B 6; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D012256:Riboflavin
keywords: Micronutrient; Older people; Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA); Vitamins