Urinary water-soluble vitamins and their metabolite contents as nutritional markers for evaluating vitamin intakes in young Japanese women

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2008 Jun;54(3):223-9. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.54.223.

Abstract

Little information is available to estimate water-soluble vitamin intakes from urinary vitamins and their metabolite contents as possible nutritional markers. Determination of the relationships between the oral dose and urinary excretion of water-soluble vitamins in human subjects contributes to finding valid nutrition markers of water-soluble vitamin intakes. Six female Japanese college students were given a standard Japanese diet in the first week, the same diet with a synthesized water-soluble vitamin mixture as a diet with approximately onefold vitamin mixture based on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Japanese in the second week, with a threefold vitamin mixture in the third week, and a sixfold mixture in the fourth week. Water-soluble vitamins and their metabolites were measured in the 24-h urine collected each week. All urinary vitamins and their metabolite levels except vitamin B(12) increased linearly in a dose-dependent manner, and highly correlated with vitamin intake (r=0.959 for vitamin B(1), r=0.927 for vitamin B(2), r=0.965 for vitamin B(6), r=0.957 for niacin, r=0.934 for pantothenic acid, r=0.907 for folic acid, r=0.962 for biotin, and r=0.952 for vitamin C). These results suggest that measuring urinary water-soluble vitamins and their metabolite levels can be used as good nutritional markers for assessing vitamin intakes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Ascorbic Acid / metabolism
  • Ascorbic Acid / urine
  • Biomarkers / metabolism
  • Biomarkers / urine
  • Diet / methods
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Eating / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Nutritional Status / physiology*
  • Reference Values
  • Students
  • Vitamin B Complex / administration & dosage
  • Vitamin B Complex / metabolism
  • Vitamin B Complex / urine
  • Vitamins / administration & dosage*
  • Vitamins / metabolism
  • Vitamins / urine*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Vitamins
  • Vitamin B Complex
  • Ascorbic Acid