Absorption of Vitamin B,, in Uganda Africans

Abstract

The absorption of radioactive vitamin B12 has been found to be slow in Ugandan Africans, and the Ugandan serum has also been shown to have an increased capacity for binding vitamin B1 2 . These two findings are suggested to be the explanation for the finding that in order to obtain adequate excretions of vitamin in the standard chilling Test the flushing dose has to be delayed from the standard 2 hrs to 4 hrs after the test dose, and increased from 1000 to 4000 intramuscularly. The underlying cause of the slow rate of absorption is not clear, but it could be the abnormal intestinal mucosahich exists in these people. The aetiology of the increased capacity of serum for binding vitamin remains unexplained.