In this article dietary intakes of the water soluble vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, B6, folate, B12 and C in both free-living and institutionalized elderly persons living a Western lifestyle are reviewed. In total 37 studies on elderly people (aged 60 years and over) which were published between 1980 and 1993 are discussed with a view to the dietary assessment methods used, dietary recommendations and blood biochemistry. Dietary intakes of thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B12 in general are found to be adequate. Vitamin B6 intake was found to be most frequently below the recommendations. A substantial proportion of the elderly had dietary folate intakes below two-thirds of the country specific recommendations in several studies. Vitamin C intake seems to be adequate in free-living elderly but tends to be low in institutionalized elderly. The use of water soluble vitamin supplements is not recommended for elderly people in general. More data are needed on optimal as well as safe levels of intake to allow for specific advice with respect to supplement use of vulnerable groups of elderly people