ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the vitamin status and requirements of the elderly. The vitamin status of the United States elderly has been assessed by dietary intake surveys, measurement of vitamin levels in tissues or measurement of a biochemical function for which a specific vitamin is required, and surveys of clinical signs of vitamin deficiency. In rats, the riboflavin requirement also does not increase with age based on determination of the dietary concentration of the vitamin required for optimal growth from weaning to 24.5 months. When vitamin E deficient diets were fed to 11-, 42-, and 67-week-old rats, signs of vitamin deficiency appeared after 7 weeks in 11-week-old rats, after 16 weeks in 42-week-old rats, and not at all in 67-week-old rats. The only vitamins for which a decrease in allowances with advancing age is suggested are those based on energy allowances, specifically thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin.
