Effects of 6-Month Multivitamin Supplementation on Serum Concentrations of alpha-Tocopherol, beta-Carotene, and Vitamin C in Healthy Elderly Women

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with nutritional doses of antioxidant nutrients on the serum concentrations of ascorbic acid, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene in healthy elderly women. Methods: The study was performed as a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Two hundred forty-one free-living, healthy women aged 60 years and older were recruited by newspaper advertisement in Hanover, Germany and its environs. As 21 women dropped out, data of 220 women (aged 60–91 years, median 63 years) were included in this evaluation. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a multivitamin/mineral or placebo capsule with identical appearance for six months containing 36 mg vitamin E, 150 mg vitamin C, and 9 mg beta-carotene. Serum concentrations of vitamin C, alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene were measured initially and after six months of supplementation. Data were analyzed with the SPSS 10.0 program. Results: Median serum concentrations of alpha-carotene and vitamin E increased significantly in the supplemented group (p = 0.000), whereas no significant modifications were observed in the placebo group. Median vitamin C concentration of the supplemented group did not differ from baseline after intervention, but that of the placebo group was significantly decreased after six months (p = 0.000). In comparison to estimated desirable serum concentrations of > 30 mumol/L vitamin E, 50 mumol/L vitamin C, and > 0.4 mumol/l beta-carotene at baseline, lower concentrations were found in 21.1%, 6.9%, and 1.0% of all subjects, respectively. After supplementation none of the members of the supplemented group had tocopherol concentrations below 30 mumol/L and only one woman of the supplemented group had a serum beta-carotene concentration below 0.4 mumol/L. The change in serum concentrations of vitamin C and E in the supplemented group depended on the status at baseline. Conclusion: A six-month supplementation with physiological doses of antioxidant vitamins improves the blood concentration of these nutrients even in relatively well-nourished elderly women or, as seen for vitamin C, prevents reduction of serum concentrations. Prevalence of suboptimal serum concentrations can be reduced.