Vitamin "C" nutrition in the Cape Peninsula

Abstract

1. A series of 507 cases in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa has been investigated for Vitamin C nutrition.2. Of the total number of cases, 124 or 24.6% showed marked evidence of Vitamin C deficiency.3. Of the total number of school children, 380, European and non -European, 80 or 21.1% showed marked evidence of Vitamin C deficiency.4. Of these children, the Europeans showed a greater percentage of cases of deficiency than the non - European viz., in 109 European cases 23 or 21.1% were deficient, whereas in 271 non -European cases 20 or 7.3% were deficient.5. During the survey no evidence that Vitamin C has a specific diuretic action appeared.6. Of the 15 cases examined, there was no conclusive evidence that Vitamin C deficiency plays a constant part in the aetiology of peptic ulcer.7. The survey was carried out by employing three tests: - (1) The Capillary Fragility Test. (2) The Intradermal Test. (3) The 5 -Hour Urinary Excretion Test in response to a Test Dose of Vitamin C, and the results obtained from them compared.8. No correlation could be found between these three tests.9. The Capillary Fragility Test proved (a) to vary with each individual, (b) to fail to detect a very large group of mild Vitamin C deficiency cases (c) to be far from suitable for making an accurate survey of the state of Vitamin C nutrition of any particular group of people, though in any one individual it may have its uses.10. The Intradermal Test proved to be wholly unreliable in its present form and is considered quite unsuitable for any estimation of Vitamin C nutrition in the human subject.11. The high incidence of Vitamin C deficiency appears to be due in part to economic conditions and in part to lack of knowledge as to what constitutes an adequate, well- balanced diet containing all the essential foodstuffs and food factors.12. It is suggested that the prevalence of Vitamin C deficiency in school children be remedied by the daily (or thrice weekly at least) administration of one orange or its equivalent, and that although Vitamin C Saturation level is the ideal, at least levels of Normality be attained and maintained.