Abstract
Absorption of 58Co-vitamin B12 is studied in 13 elderly and 10 younger men. No significant difference is found by the fecal excretion method. It is concluded that the aging ileum functions normally, and that, with adequate stimulation, the aging stomach can secrete normal amounts of intrinsic factor. Whether such stimulation occurs under ordinary living conditions was not established. An attempt to increase the accuracy of the hepatic uptake method as a quantitative test was unsuccessful.