Vitamin and mineral nutrition in chronic alcoholocs including patients nwith Korsakoff's psychosis

Abstract

1. A group of 129 patients with chronic alcoholism were assessed for their nutritional status with respect to certain minerals and vitamins, and compared with control subjects.2. In all subjects the plasma values were normal for calcium, magnesium and zinc.3. As in other studies a seasonal variation was found in the plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the control subjects and the alcoholic subjects; in all seasons lower levels were found in the alcoholics than in the controls, but none of the alcoholic patients had results in the range found in osteomalacia.4. The alcoholic subjects had low levels of ascorbic acid both in the plasma and in the leucocytes.5. Although vitamin A and β-carotene levels were within the reference range, the results in alcoholics were found to be lower than in the control subjects.6. We suggest that subclinical vitamin deficiencies other than thiamine deficiency contribute to the cerebral impairment frequently found in alcoholism.