Micronutrients: highlights and research challenges from the 1994–5 National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 years and over

Abstract

The aims of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey series are summarized, and the new National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 years and over is explored, with particular emphasis on micronutrient intakes and status indices. Mean nutrient intakes were generally satisfactory for most micronutrients, but intakes of vitamin D, Mg, K and Cu were low. Intakes of vitamin D were far below the reference nutrient intake for people aged 65 years and over, and there was also biochemical evidence of vitamin D deficiency, for 8 % of free-living and 37 % of institution participants, attributed partly to limited exposure to sunlight. A substantial proportion of people living in institutions had inadequate biochemical status indices, notably for vitamin C, Fe and folate. Relationships between intake and status were close for vitamins. Mineral intakes did not correlate well with currently used status indices. Some intakes and indices, especially those of vitamin C, carotenoids, Na and K, were strongly correlated with socio-economic status and with north-south gradients in Britain. Future research challenges should address the functional and health significance of low intakes and sub-optimal biochemical indices for certain micronutrients, especially for people living in institutions; the shortcomings of mineral status indices especially as indicators of mineral intake; the social and geographical inequalities of micronutrient intakes and status, and why micronutrient status deteriorates with increasing age. The answers to these questions will help to define the characteristics of nutritional risk for older people in Britain, and to clarify future needs for education and intervention. Micronutrients: National Diet and Nutrition Survey: ElderlyThe purpose of the present paper is to draw attention to the British Government's National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 years and over, and the reports derived from it Steele et al. 1998). It also considers some of the problems of interpretation and research challenges of this large dataset in order to encourage other researchers to continue this investigation. The primary data from the survey will be lodged with the

Relationship between methylmalonic acid, homocysteine, vitamin B12 intake and status and socio-economic indices, in a subset of participants in the British National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 y and over

“…In addition, it is likely that vitamin B 12 status is dependent on longterm, as distinct from short-term variations in vitamin B 12 intakes. This is also suggested by the observation that the correlation between serum vitamin B 12 and vitamin B 12 intake is relatively weak (Finch et al, 1998;Bates et al, 1999).…”

“…As part of a series of government-commissioned surveys of several age-groups of the British population in the final decade of the twentieth century, a survey of people aged 65 y and over was carried out in 1994 -1995 (Finch et al, 1998;Bates et al, 1999). Estimates of mean daily nutrient intakes (from a 4 day weighed diet record), a sociodemographic questionnaire and a fasting blood sample for biochemical and other status measurements were included.…”

Dietary manipulation in musculoskeletal conditions

“…It is therefore of some concern that in the latest UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 and over, the intake of copper fell below the RNI in 82% of free-living participants and in 90% of those in institutions, while the corresponding figures for zinc were 62% and 54% [97]. Though intake figures were better in the survey of younger adults, even then, median copper intake was below the RNI in women (82% of RNI) [98].…”

Frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption and blood antioxidants in the Caerphilly cohort of older men

“…For example, Fukao et al (1996) have shown that serum b-carotene concentrations were modi®ed by both alcohol consumption and smoking independently after adjusting for age, intake of b-carotene, BMI and cholesterol levels. In addition, Bates et al (1999) have shown that plasma b-carotene, b-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and a-tocopherol were strongly negatively correlated with increasing socio-economic status and with north-south gradients in Great Britain. Similarly, in the Caerphilly cohort, all of the measured carotenoids (except lycopene with socio-economic status) were negatively correlated with socio-economic status, smoking and alcohol intake (Mulholland et al, 1999).…”