Vitamins B6 and B12 and folate status in an adult Mediterranean population

doi:doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601610

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition homepage

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2003) 57, 777–785. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601610

Vitamins B₆ and B₁₂ and folate status in an adult Mediterranean population

E Planells¹, C Sánchez¹, M A Montellano¹, J Mataix¹ and J Llopis¹

¹Department of Physiology, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Granada, Granada, Spain

Correspondence: J Llopis, Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad de Granada, C/ Ramón y Cajal 4, E-18071 Granada, Spain. E-mail: jllopis@ugr.es

Guarantor: J Llopis.

Researchers: E Planells, C Sánchez, MA Montellano and J Mataix

Received 25 February 2002; Revised 8 June 2002; Accepted 15 July 2002.

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Abstract

Objective: To assess the nutritional status for vitamins B₆ and B₁₂ and folate in an adult Mediterranean population, in order to identify patterns of intake, groups at risk for deficiency, and factors that might influence this risk.

Design: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey.

Setting: Andalusia, a western Mediterranean region in southern Spain.

Subjects: The study was carried out with a random sample of 3528 subjects (1813 men, 1715 women) who were between 25 and 60 y of age. Blood samples were obtained for biochemical assays in a random subsample of 384 subjects (183 men, 201 women).

Interventions: Food consumption was assessed by 48-h recall. Vitamin B₆ was measured as alpha erythrocyte aspartate aminotransferase activation coefficient ( alpha EAST); vitamin B₁₂ and folate concentrations were measured in plasma.

Results: Energy and vitamin intakes were significantly higher in men than in women. In men, intakes were below two-thirds of the RDA in 10.8, 2.9 and 22.6% for B₆, B₁₂ and folate, respectively. The corresponding figures in women were 16.7, 5.1 and 23.5% for vitamins B₆, B₁₂ and folate. Age, place of residence and educational level, alcohol use and smoking were also associated with differences in the intake of these nutrients. Biochemical analyses showed that vitamins B₆, B₁₂ and folate status was acceptable in 75.7, 89.1 and 57.6% of the population, respectively. Plasma concentration of folate was significantly higher in women.

Conclusion: Our results provide a precise estimate of the nutritional status for vitamins B₆, B₁₂ and folate in the adult population of southern Spain. Factors such as age, place of residence, level of education and smoking can increase the risk of inadequate intake of some nutrients. However, these factors did not affect biochemical indexes of nutritional status in the present study.

Sponsorship: Dirección General de Salud Pública and the Health Council of the Andalusian Regional Government.