Folic Acid Excretion in the Urine of Elderly Women

Markkanen, T; Ruikka, I

doi:10.1159/000244757

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 3 publications

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“…Other authors (5) have made similar observations and have attributed the incidence of low to deficient folate levels to poor intake despite adequate diet. Our study (see Table) suggests an alternative explanation: the elderly may inadequately absorb food folates from an ordinarily wholesome diet; with advancing age some of the digestive and absorptive functions of the gastrointestinal tract deteriorate (2, 7, 24, 25) as revealed by our data on the lowered absorption of folylpolyglutamates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Severe Impairment of Dietary Folate Utilization in the Elderly

Baker¹,

Jaslow²,

Frank³

1978

J American Geriatrics Society

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Absorption of folates, vitamin B6, pantothenate, and riboflavin from a natural food source (yeast) and from synthetic folylmonoglutamate was studied in 24 elderly subjects (age range, 73 to 101 years) and in 12 healthy younger subjects (age range, 24 to 42 years). All subjects absorbed riboflavin, vitamin B6, and pantothenate from yeast. Ingested folypolyglutamates (the preponderant folates in yeast) proved to be a very poor source of folates for the elderly subjects, whereas synthetic folylmonoglutamate served as a good source. In the younger subjects, yeast was a significant folate source. It is suggested that the folate deficits so common in the elderly are caused by impaired ability to obtain folate from ingested foods. The resultant folate deficit may induce changes in the epithelial structure and enzyme secretion of the small bowel, which may further exacerbate folate malabsorption.

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