Elderly Hispanics May Lack Vitamin
B12 By
Rosalie Marion Bliss
April 17, 2003
Researchers funded by the Agricultural Research Service have reported
that elderly Hispanics of Caribbean origin were significantly more likely to be
vitamin B12 deficient than were non-Hispanic whites. The findings were based on
a study of data collected in the volunteers' homes. Symptoms of B12 deficiency
range from decreased memory and balance disturbances to nerve damage and
cognitive decline.
The researchers are with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at
Tufts University in Boston, Mass. The study was lead by Katherine Tucker,
director of HNRCA's Dietary Assessment Research Program. The researchers
examined data collected from 347 Puerto Ricans, 102 Dominicans and 154
non-Hispanic whites aged 60 to 93 years, living in Massachusetts.
One reason for the lower levels is that the B12 in natural
sources such as meat, eggs and dairy products is tightly bound to the proteins
contained in those foods. That means that unless the consumer has enough
stomach acid to break those bonds, he or she may not absorb sufficient
quantities of B12. Aging and taking acid-blockers contribute to a gradual
lessening of B12 absorption.
Sources of vitamin B12 that are not bound to protein, such as
supplements and fortified cereals, appear to be protective, according to
Tucker. The study showed that those who took supplements with B12 or ate cereal
more than four times per week were significantly less likely to have low levels
of B12.
Read more about the nutritional epidemiology of Hispanics in the
April issue of
Agricultural Research magazine.
ARS is the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's chief scientific research agency. |