Dietary Thiamin Intake and TPP Effect of Elderly Women

The present study was conducted to assess the dietary and nutritional status of thiamin in fourty-two elderly women. Dietary intake was determined by 24hour recall method and nutritional status of thiamin was determined by measurement of transketolase activity in erythrocytes. Average dietary intake of energy and thiamin were found to be low, and not more than 78% and 63.2% of Recommended dietary allowances(RDA) respectively. Transketolase activity in erythrocytes was distributed in the range of 0.227-0.589mU/mgHb and the mean value and 0.434mU/mgHb. The mean value of Thiamin pyrophosphate effect(TPP effect) was 24.0% and the range was from 9.36% to 83.9%. It appeared that 95% of 42 elderly women were severely or marginally deficient in thiamin status, showing 22 persons to be above 20% and 18 persons to be 15-20% of TPP effect. Transketolase activity and TPP effect did not show any significant correlation with dietary thiamin intake.