Vitamin B6 intakes and status assessment of elderly men and women in Taiwan.

Studies have indicated that vitamin B6 status decreases with age. However, little is known about vitamin B6 status of elderly people in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to assess vitamin B6 status of elderly Taiwanese and to examine the effect of protein on various indices of vitamin B6 status in the elderly. Thirty-nine men (mean age = 69.9 ± 4.2 years) and 55 women (mean age = 69.5 ± 3.9 years) completed a 24-h diet recall. The mean total vitamin B6 intake (men: 1.7 ± 0.9 g/day; women: 1.6 ± 1.2 g/day) was higher than the 1998 US Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and the current Taiwan Recommended Daily Nutrient Allowance (RDNA). Dietary energy and protein intakes were not related to any vitamin B6 status parameters in any sex groups and the pooled group. Vitamin B6 intake correlated only with erythrocyte aspartate transaminase activity coefficient (EAST-AC) in the pooled (r = –0.214, p < 0.05) group. There were no significant differences in plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP), erythrocyte alanine tr...