Vitamin C disposition in young and elderly men

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 837 - 845
• Main Authors: Blanchard, J, Conrad, KA, Mead, RA, Garry, PJ
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.05.1990; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: ACIDE ASCORBIQUE; ACIDO ASCORBICO; Administration, Oral; Adult; ADULTE; ADULTOS; Aged; Aging - metabolism; Ascorbic Acid - blood; Ascorbic Acid - pharmacokinetics; Ascorbic Acid - urine; Biological and medical sciences; CARENCE EN VITAMINES; DEFICIENCIA DE VITAMINAS; FARMACOLOGIA; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; HOMBRES; HOMME; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Nutritional Status; PHARMACOLOGIE; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; VITAMINAS; VITAMINE; Human; Ascorbic acid; Treatment; Vitamin; Adult; Pharmacokinetics; Elderly; Age; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/51.5.837

The pharmacokinetics of vitamin C after a 500-mg oral tablet dose were compared in 15 healthy young men aged 25.20 ± 2.54 (x̄ ± SD) and in 15 healthy elderly men aged 69.31 ± 2.52 y. The doses were characterized with the subjects in two states of vitamin C nutriture: a depleted state, which was achieved by 4-5 wk of compliance with a vitamin C-restricted diet of < 10 mg/d and a supplemented state, in which the subjects were given 500 mg vitamin C/d for 3 wk. Plasma and urine samples were collected for 72 h after the dose of vitamin C from depleted subjects and for 24 h from supplemented subjects and analyzed for vitamin C. Several of the pharmacokinetic indices measured were different in depleted vs supplemented subjects but none exhibited any age-related differences. This indicates that vitamin C nutriture affects vitamin C pharmacokinetics but age does not.