Multivitamin-mineral supplementation: effects on blood chemistries of college-age women

Abstract

Forty-two female college students, age 18-29 yr. and consuming nutritionally balanced meals in the college cafeteria participated. Subjects discontinued all vitamin-mineral supplements (VMS) for 17 days and were randomly assigned to one of two treatments, either a placebo, or VMS supplying the United States Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) of all vitamins, zinc, iron, iodine, copper, and 60% of the USRDA of calcium, 50% of magnesium and 45% of phosphorus. Treatments were consumed for 77 days. Fasting pre-and post-treatment blood chemistries were compared. VMS yielded significant increases (p less than 0.05) in serum vitamin B-12 (+25.05 pg/ml), vitamin C (+0.35 mg/dl) and folate (+7.40 ng/ml). No significant changes (p greater than 0.05) in hematological or other blood chemistries were observed. Significant decreases in the number of below-normal serum indicators of vitamin status (p less than 0.05) and iron status (p less than 0.005) were seen with VMS. No significant changes were seen with placebo (p greater than 0.05).