Supplement use: vitamin intakes and biochemical indexes in 40- to 108-month-old children

Intakes and related biochemical indexes of ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, vitamin B-12, and folic acid were examined for adequacy in 30 normal children aged 40 to 108 months. Comparisons were made between intake and biochemical index values of children who reported regular use of vitamin supplements and those who reported none. Three-day food records provided nutrient intake data; blood samples, drawn following an overnight fast, were analyzed for biochemical indexes. Student's t-test and the Pearson r were used for comparisons. Mean intakes of most nutrients differed significantly between the supplemented and nonsupplemented groups only when supplements were considered. Mean biochemical indexes differed significantly for riboflavin (p less than .005). Correlations between intakes and respective biochemical indexes were significant for riboflavin (p less than .01) and vitamin B-12 (p less than .01) in the supplemented group and for folate with RBC folate (p less than .005) in the nonsupplemented group. No deficiencies in either group were evident from biochemical indexes; improvement in indexes with supplement use was interpreted as being only relative and not suggestive that such use is beneficial.