beta-carotene and Ascorbic-Acid-Deficiency

Routine vitamin supplementation for the elderly has been advocated by many. Specific vitamin deficiencies are rare in free-living elderly, but are not uncommonly encountered in hospitalized and institutionalized patients. Deficiency may result from interactions with medications or overall poor dietary intake. Low blood or plasma vitamin concentration is not necessarily indicative of a deficient state. Specific vitamin supplements are useful in the treatment and prevention of a deficient state. However, there is little, if any benefit from supplementation for reasons other than replacement therapy. The incidence and clinical symptoms of thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (B2), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), vitamin B12, C, D, folate, niacin, vitamin A, E, beta carotene, and K deficiency and their treatment and prevention in the elderly are discussed.

Topics: Aged; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Folic Acid Deficiency; Humans; Niacin; Riboflavin Deficiency; Thiamine Deficiency; Vitamin A Deficiency; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency; Vitamin B 6 Deficiency; Vitamin D; Vitamin E Deficiency; Vitamin K Deficiency; Vitamins

Senile cataract indicates the opacity of ocular lenses occurring in old and especially in very old people. Lens proteins are extremely long-living and often show oxidative damages. Aging and smoking appear to be the greatest risk factors for the development of lens opacities. The sufficient antioxidant protection of young lenses decreases with the aging process. Consequently, the importance of other protective factors increases. Nutritional factors, particularly vitamins with antioxidant properties, may influence the development of senile cataracts in the ocular lens. Meanwhile an association between the supply with vitamin C, E and beta-carotene and the risk of cataract development was demonstrated in animal studies and also in an increasing number of epidemiological studies. These epidemiological studies mainly support the hypothesis that higher vitamin intakes reduce the risk of developing cataracts in old age. The antioxidant properties of the named nutrients give a plausible explanation for the mechanism of cataractogenesis. On the basis of the present data definitive recommendation, necessary for cataract prevention can not yet be established. Some results seem to support higher recommendations. At the moment several large human intervention trials are carried out. Form these studies a further confirmation of the antioxidant hypothesis and of a dose-response-relationship are expected.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Animals; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Carotenoids; Cataract; Child; Humans; Risk Factors; Vitamin E; Vitamin E Deficiency

Analysis of actual feeding of 277 geriatric patients suffering from urology disease. The patients had a combined deficient of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin of the B group, beta-capotene and mineral substances. Diets 1a, 1, 5, 7, 9, 15 could not provide daily needs for antioxidant nutrients. Antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects of the dietary supplement containing natural antioxidants in 122 oncourology patients after operation was indicated. So there was reason to fortify diets of patients with antioxidant dietary supplement during the period of surgical treatment.

Topics: Aged; alpha-Tocopherol; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Blood Sedimentation; Case-Control Studies; Diet Therapy; Dietary Supplements; Energy Intake; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation; Middle Aged; Minerals; Plants, Medicinal; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Superoxide Dismutase; Urologic Diseases; Urologic Neoplasms; Vitamin A Deficiency; Vitamins

To examine the association between vitamin C and cataract in the Indian setting.. Population-based cross-sectional analytic study.. A total of 5638 people aged ≥60 years.. Enumeration of randomly sampled villages in 2 areas of north and south India to identify people aged ≥60 years. Participants were interviewed for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors (tobacco, alcohol, household cooking fuel, work, and diet); attended a clinical examination, including lens photography; and provided a blood sample for antioxidant analysis. Plasma vitamin C was measured using an enzyme-based assay in plasma stabilized with metaphosphoric acid, and other antioxidants were measured by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography.. Cataract and type of cataract were graded from digital lens images using the Lens Opacity Classification System III (LOCS III), and cataract was classified from the grade in the worse eye of ≥4 for nuclear cataract, ≥3 for cortical cataract, and ≥2 for posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC). Any cataract was defined as any unoperated or operated cataract.. Of 7518 enumerated people, 5638 (75%) provided data on vitamin C, antioxidants, and potential confounders. Vitamin C was inversely associated with cataract (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for highest to lowest quartile = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.51-0.74; P=1.1×10(-6)). Inclusion of other antioxidants in the model (lutein, zeaxanthin, retinol, β-carotene, and α-tocopherol) made only a small attenuation to the result (OR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.57-0.82; P < 0.0001). Similar results were seen with vitamin C by type of cataract: nuclear cataract (adjusted OR 0.66; CI, 0.54-0.80; P < 0.0001), cortical cataract (adjusted OR 0.70; CI, 0.54-0.90; P < 0.002), and PSC (adjusted OR 0.58; CI, 0.45-0.74; P < 0.00003). Lutein, zeaxanthin, and retinol were significantly inversely associated with cataract, but the associations were weaker and not consistently observed by type of cataract. Inverse associations were also observed for dietary vitamin C and cataract.. We found a strong association with vitamin C and cataract in a vitamin C-depleted population.. The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Topics: Aged; alpha-Tocopherol; Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Cataract; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Humans; India; Lutein; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Xanthophylls; Zeaxanthins

The ascorbate content of plants is usually increased in high light (HL), implying a function for ascorbate in the acclimation of plants to HL. Nevertheless, the importance of ascorbate in HL acclimation has not yet been tested directly. Here, we report on the acclimation process of an ascorbate-deficient Arabidopsis mutant to HL. The mutant vtc2 has only 10% to 30% of wild-type levels of ascorbate, and it is also slightly deficient in feedback de-excitation (qE), a photoprotective mechanism that causes the dissipation of excess light as heat. The vtc2 mutant was unable to acclimate to HL, when transferred from low light to HL. Its mature leaves bleached, and it showed an increased degree of lipid peroxidation and photoinhibition. In parallel, we tested the photosensitivity of an ascorbate-deficient xanthophyll cycle mutant, vtc2npq1, which also lacks zeaxanthin and nearly all qE. The double mutant bleached sooner and had higher degrees of lipid peroxidation and photoinhibition than the vtc2 mutant. This was in contrast to the npq1 single mutant that showed only slight deviations from the wild-type phenotype under the conditions used. These results demonstrate the antioxidant role of ascorbate in the acclimation process to HL and point to the relative importance of ascorbate in comparison with other photoprotective processes, such as specific xanthophylls or feedback de-excitation. The results also provide further support for the proposed role of zeaxanthin as an antioxidant and lipid stabilizer.

Topics: Arabidopsis; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Glutathione; Kinetics; Light; Lipid Peroxidation; Phenotype; Superoxide Dismutase; Tocopherols; Xanthophylls; Zeaxanthins

Presented are the results of nutrition status of 803 inhabitants of Yakutia both sexes at the age from 20 to 50. 22 per cent of examined men and 42 per cent of examined women had redundant body mass. It relates to high caloric diet and unbalance between consumption and expense of energy. High caloric diet is a cause of hypercholesterinemia and hypertriglyceridemia among young and old people. The most part of residents had insufficiency of vitamin C and beta-carotene in winter. It relates to deficit of fruit and vegetables in diet. 8 per cent of examined men and 30 per cent of examined women had low level of hemoglobin. Thus, rational nutrition is necessary for prophylaxis diseases in the Far North.

Topics: Adult; Age Factors; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; beta Carotene; Diet; Female; Hemoglobinometry; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Male; Middle Aged; Nutritional Status; Rural Population; Seasons; Sex Factors; Siberia; Trace Elements; Urban Population

The comparative study of influence of two biologically active food additives with the different contents of vitamins is carried out: a drink "Zolotoi Shar", the dose of vitamins in which makes 50-90% from recommended daily consumption, and "Vitabalance 2000", the contents of vitamins in which at 2-17 of time exceeds need of organism. The use of both additives within 3 weeks resulted in increase of levels of vitamins C, A, E, B2, B6 and carotenoids in blood serum. However if in case of consumption of a drink an authentic level was reached only for vitamin C and beta-carotene, in a case "Vitabalance 2000" for all investigated vitamins except vitamin A. Thus, if the consumption of a drink has lowered frequency of deficiency of 3-4 vitamins, but has not allowed to liquidate it completely, in case of "Vitabalance 2000" consumption the simultaneous deficiency 3-4 vitamins. The received data allow to believe the biologically active food additives containing vitamins in amounts exceeding recommended consumption, are convenient for fast liquidation of hypovitaminoses, and the preparations containing vitamins in doses making 30-50% from need of organism, are acceptable for daily filling of insufficient consumption of vitamins with a usual diet for a long time.

Topics: Adenine; Adult; Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid Deficiency; Avitaminosis; beta Carotene; Beverages; Female; Food, Fortified; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Riboflavin; Time Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency; Vitamin B Deficiency; Vitamins