Whole Blood and Plasma Vitamin C Level in Healthy Middle and High School Students in Chinju

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C was determined without considering the important function of vitamin C as a first-line antioxidant. We measured the whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations of healthy middle and high school students in Chinju to assess the optimal daily vitamin C requirement in these age groups. METHODS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were measured by the 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method in 780 students from 1st to 3rd grade of at a middle school and high school in Chinju during June 1996. RESULTS: Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations were 1.42+/-0.40mg/dL and 0.92+/-0.40 mg/dL, respectively. Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations decreased as the school grade became higher. Whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations did not differ between females and males in the middle school. However, female high school students had a significantly higher whole blood and plasma vitamin C concentrations than male high school students(P<0.001). Fourteen of 390 middle school students(3.4%) and 23 of 390 high school students(5.9%) had whole blood vitamin C concentrations of less than 0.8mg/dL. Forty-six of 390 middle school students (11.7%) and 113 of 390 high school students(29.0%) had plasma vitamin C concentrations less than 0.6mg/dL. Especially, 45.2% of male high school students had plasma vitamin C concentrations of less than 0.6mg/dL. CONCLUSION: Some adolescents, especially almost half the male high school students, didn't have satisfactory plasma vitamin C levels.