American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 60, 437-447, Copyright © 1994 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

ORIGINAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

Daily micronutrient supplements enhance delayed-hypersensitivity skin test responses in older people

JD Bogden, A Bendich, FW Kemp, KS Bruening, JH Shurnick, T Denny, H Baker and DB Louria
Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark 07103-2714.

A placebo-controlled double-blind trial of the effects of daily micronutrient supplements on circulating vitamin and trace metal concentrations and delayed-hypersensitivity skin test (DHST) responses was conducted. Subjects, aged 59-85 y, were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 27) or micronutrient (n = 29) treatment groups. DHST and circulating concentrations of nine micronutrients were measured before and after 6 and 12 mo of micronutrient ingestion. For the micronutrient group, there were statistically significant increases at 6 and/or 12 mo in the mean serum concentrations of ascorbate, beta-carotene, folate, vitamin B-6, and alpha-tocopherol. There was a significant increase at 12 mo in the number of subjects in the placebo group with one or more low concentrations. DHST responses to a panel of seven recall antigens were significantly increased at 12 mo in the micronutrient group but not the placebo group. This study demonstrates that daily supplementation with low-to-moderate doses of micronutrients can prevent low concentrations of some micronutrients and can improve DHST responses in healthy, independently living older adults.

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