Árbók Háskóla Íslands - 02.01.1955, Page 71

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av. 54.9 mg; 25—47 y., 8 cases, av. 57 mg); 50—58 y., 7 cases,
av. 39.3 mg; 80 y., one case, 13.1 mg.
Of the 16 cases in age group 2—47 y. 6 came to observation
in the period Sept.-December and provided an average of 65 mg,
the remaining 10, observed in Jan.-May, averaged 50.6 mg. The
corresponding figures for age group 50—58 y. were 43.7 (three
cases) and 36.0 (four cases).
Thus, although few in number, these cases showed, as would
be expected, not only a fall in the ascorbic acid content in late
winter and spring, but also a fall with advancing age. For liver
this trend was less clear.
Considering the age distribution in the groups “malignant
tumors” (7 of 11 cases above 50 y.) and “various diseases” (all
but one below 50 y.), the latter group showed much greater re-
duction of the adrenal values. The results in the group “tubercu-
losis” may have been materially affected by ascorbic acid medi-
cation.
Post mortem changes, affecting the liver earlier than the
adrenals, were thought to be responsible for conspicuously low
values found for liver in a few cases although the adrenal values
were high. The obvious lack of correlation between the liver-
and andrenal values, as seen in table 20, was mainly caused by
such cases.
Requirements, intáke level. Dietary surveys have been found
to support the view, that an intake level for vitamin C of 30 mg
is adequate and would leave a reasonable margin of safety.
Claims for higher intakes are usually based on some purely ar-
bitrarily defined limits for “normal blood values”.
Table 21 gives a view of the all-round average intake of vita-
min C in Iceland, based on a survey made some years ago (33).
The seasonal fluctuation of the intake was judged to range from
40—50 mg in autumn to about or below 20 mg in spring time
as an average.