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Ascorbic Acid Utilization by Women

Response of Blood Serum and White Cells to Increasing Levels of Intake in Two Groups of Women of Different Age Levels¹

School of Home Economics and Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Connecticut, Storrs²

Following 7 weeks on a 32-mg intake of ascorbic acid, the average serum ascorbic acid level of 15 young women was 0.33 mg per 100 ml. It rose to 1.76 mg during a period of 10 weeks in which the ascorbic acid intake was increased gradually to 107 mg per day. The average white cell ascorbic acid rose from 25.6 mg per 100 gm of white cells to 35.2 mg during the first 4 weeks when the intake had reached 57 mg per day, and thereafter remained stationary.

The average serum ascorbic acid level for 13 older women, on the same levels of intake, rose from 0.24 to 1.42 mg during the 10-week period. Their average white cell ascorbic acid rose from 22.2 to 34.9 mg during the first 6 weeks when the intake had reached 72 mg per day, and thereafter remained stationary.

Correlation between serum and white cell ascorbic acid levels was significant only in the young group on intakes of 32 mg and 47 mg of ascorbic acid per day. There was no significant difference in uptake of ascorbic acid by the white cells in the young group as compared with that of the older group. Difference in regression of white cell level on serum level between the two groups was not significant.

² Credit is due Dr. Geoffrey Beall, Professor of Statistics, and Dr. Mary L. Greenwood, Associate Professor of Foods and Nutrition, University of Connecticut, for verification of the statistical treatment of the data.

Manuscript received 4 May 1956.