Food Sources of Nutrients of the Diet of Elderly Italians: II. Micronutrients

The foods which contribute most to the intake of selected vitamins and minerals were evaluated for the elderly in Italy and compared to food sources of nutrients in the US. A sample of 945 Italians, aged ≥60, from 14 centres throughout Italy, each completed weighed 7-day food records during the period 1983-1987. These data were used to quantify the contribution of individual foods to the total intake of and variability in intake of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. In addition, those foods contributing most to micronutrient intake for the Italians were compared to those foods contributing most for the elderly in the US as recorded by the NHANES II Survey (1976-1980)