An Excretory Test for Vitamin C Deficiency and Subnutrition

Abstract

Summary

1. The 3-hour urinary excretion of vitamin C before and after an intravenous test dose of 100 mg. of ascorbic acid was studied in a group of 12 normal adults on their usual diet which was adequate in vitamin C, in 3 normal adults on diets low in vitamin C and in 13 cases of scurvy. 2. The 3-hour and 21-hour excretion was studied in the same group after an intravenous test dose of 100 mg. of ascorbic acid. 3. Following the test dose the normal subjects excreted an average of more than 40% of the injected vitamin within 3 hours; the subnutrition cases an average of 11% and the scurvy group an average of 2.6%. 4. These observations support the fact that the 3-hour urinary excretion of vitamin C following an intravenous dose of 100 mg. of ascorbic acid will serve as an index of vitamin C deficiency or subnutrition.