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Vitamin B intake and status in healthy Havanan men, 2 years after the Cuban neuropathy epidemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Josiane Arnaud ,
Pedro Fleites-Mestre ,
Michelle Chassagne ,
Tomas Verdura ,
Isabel Garcia Garcia ,
Teresa Hernandez-Fernandez ,
Hortensia Gautier ,
Alain Favier ,
Rafael Pérez-Cristià  and
Jacques Barnouin
Josiane Arnaud*
Affiliation:
Département de Biologie Intégrée, CHUG, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
Pedro Fleites-Mestre
Affiliation:
Centro National de Toxicologia (CENATOX), Ave 31 y calle 114, La Habana, Cuba
Michelle Chassagne
Affiliation:
INRA, Unité d'Ecopathologie, CRZV de Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France
Tomas Verdura
Affiliation:
Instituto Finlay, Ave 27, no 19805, La Lisa, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
Isabel Garcia Garcia
Affiliation:
Instituto de Farmacia y Alimentos, La Coronela, La Lisa, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba
Teresa Hernandez-Fernandez
Affiliation:
Centro National de Toxicologia (CENATOX), Ave 31 y calle 114, La Habana, Cuba
Hortensia Gautier
Affiliation:
Instituto de Hematologia e Immunologia, San Francisco y Perla, Alta Habana, Boyeros, cod.10800 La Habana, Cuba
Alain Favier
Affiliation:
Département de Biologie Intégrée, CHUG, BP 217, 38043 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
Rafael Pérez-Cristià
Affiliation:
Centro National de Toxicologia (CENATOX), Ave 31 y calle 114, La Habana, Cuba
Jacques Barnouin
Affiliation:
INRA, Unité d'Ecopathologie, CRZV de Theix, 63122 Saint Genès Champanelle, France
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Josiane Arnaud, fax +33 4 7676 58 21, email Josiane.Arnaud@ujf-grenoble.fr
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Abstract

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A prospective epidemiological study was carried out over 1 year to evaluate vitamin B complex dietary intake and status in Cuba, 2 years after the Cuban neuropathy epidemic of 1993. Of the 199 healthy middle-aged men selected, 141 completed the study. Volunteers were followed up every 3 months for 1 year. Dietary intake and status of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 were assessed each time. The dietary intake of vitamin B complex was low, particularly in June and July (folate), and October (thiamin). A deficient status was observed for vitamin B complex, except for vitamin B6. Vitamin B complex intake and status varied over the year. However, dietary intake and status were poorly related. The results prove that healthy Cuban men represent a vulnerable population in terms of vitamin B complex status and stress the necessity to both promote preventive multivitamin supplementation and produce local food rich in vitamin B complex.

Keywords

Vitamin B complexSeasonal variation in intakeBlood indices
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 85 , Issue 6 , May 2001 , pp. 741 - 748
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

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