One of the studies presented in Berlin concerns research conducted by the German universities of Erlangen and Nuremberg. Their study shows that vitamin C deficiency may occur much more frequently in well-nourished populations than one would expect.
In modern industrialised countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, vitamin C deficiency is considered rare. German researchers measured serum vitamin C levels using HPLC analyses of blood samples from 178 German adults. Participants in this cross-sectional analysis also answered a range of questions about their health, diet and lifestyle.
The mean vitamin C level was 7.98 mg/L (range 0.5–17.4, reference value 5–15 mg). A low, deficient vitamin C level (< 5 mg/L) was found in 31 individuals (17.4%), while a deficiency at which scurvy could develop (< 1.5 mg/L) was found in 6 participants (3.3%). Thus, almost one in five participants had a vitamin C deficiency. An inverse relationship between BMI and vitamin C level was also observed, particularly among older women with a high BMI.
The researchers conclude that, in modern Western countries, certain individuals require a higher intake of vitamin C than is currently recommended.