Nutrition of elderly men living alone. Part 2, Vitamin C and thiamine status.

A dietary survey using the five day record method was carried out on 35 elderly men living alone in the Christchurch area. The mean calculated intake of vitamin C for these men was 31 mg/day. These dietary intakes of vitamin C were significantly correlated with both plasma vitamin C levels and with leucocyte vitamin C levels. Twelve men (34 percent) with lowered dietary intakes of vitamin C were in the range for asymptomatic scurvy. The mean calculated intake of thiamine was 1.05 mg/day. The mean TPP effect was 12.9 percent (n = 27). Dietary intakes of thiamine showed a significant inverse relationship with TPP effect. Eight subjects (23 percent) who too, less than the Australian dietary allowance had an elevated TPP effect. By both dietary and biochemical methods there was evidence of subclinical vitamin C and thiamine deficiencies in more than a quarter of these men.