Adequate Dosing of Micronutrients for Different Age Groups in the Life Cycle

Abstract

Many studies of micronutrient supplementation in developing countries have used single-nutrient supplements with either vitamins or minerals. However, people in these countries often suffer from multiple, rather than single, micronutrient deficiencies. The objective of this paper is to discuss the factors that go into determining the adequate dosing of vitamins and/or minerals for people of different ages. To elaborate on the adequacy of micronutrient doses in supplements, a model described by the US FNB was used, which calculates the difference between the mean observed intake for an individual and the estimated average requirement for a life stage and gender group. This model allows estimating the degree of confidence that a certain nutrient intake (from supplements and diet) is adequate. The US/Canadian DRI values have been used as the basis for these calculations, from which it can be concluded that a daily supplement of one RDA of each micronutrient is adequate to cover the personal requirements of all individuals in each respective age and gender group of the population, provided that 20 to 40% of an RDA is supplied by the diet--likely a realistic value for developing countries. DRI values vary significantly between different age groups, reflecting changing needs over a life cycle. With the objective of a supplement to be adequate and safe, the design of a one-for-all supplement covering all age groups is not realistic. Such a supplement would either underscore or surpass the required intake of some of the age groups. Additionally the dosage of certain micronutrients might exceed the upper level of intake for lower age groups. Therefore, it is suggested that three different supplements following the one RDA concept for all micronutrients be developed for research use in developing countries for the following age groups; 1 to 3 years, 4 to 13 years, and females > 14 years (excluding during pregnancy).

Micronutrient Dietary Intake in Latina Pregnant Adolescents and Its Association with Level of Depression, Stress, and Social Support

“…Teenagers in the U.S. typically have energy-dense diets with poor micronutrient content [ 2 ]. Inadequate nutrient intake may be particularly detrimental for pregnant adolescents, who have greater nutritional requirements than their non-pregnant peers and pregnant adults because they must nourish not one but two growing bodies [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Previous studies have indicated that U.S. pregnant adolescents often do not meet the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) recommendations for micronutrient intake [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

The Foodlet Vehicle Designed for and Used in the Iris I Intervention

“…A thorough rationale for this formulation strategy was discussed at the Lima meeting, May 30-June 1, 2001, and is presented elsewhere in these proceedings by Bienz et al [6]. We formulated the foodLET with suitable overages to compensate for storage loss through the expected shelf life of the product and its use in the tropical environments of Vietnam and Indonesia.…”

Introduction to the Proceedings of the International Research on Infant Supplementation (Iris) Initiative

“…In 2001, the United States and Canada released the final versions of their reports on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), which included adequate intakes (AI) and tolerable upper limits (UL) [2]. The lessons learned from the DRI process have been skillfully teased out by Bienz et al [3] in relation to appropriate combinations of micronutrients for infants and toddlers. But North America is not the geographic stage for the endemicity of micronutrient malnutrition, begging the question as to whether the North American DRIs or the United Nations agencies' (World Health Organization, WHO; Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO) norms are applicable in terms of reference for developing societies.…”