Excerpt

This report is the second in a series that presents a comprehensive set of reference values for nutrient intakes for healthy U.S and Canadian populations. It is a product of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) working in cooperation with scientists from Canada.

The report establishes a set of reference values for the B vitamins and choline to replace previously published Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for the United States and Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) for Canada. It considers evidence concerning the prevention of disease and developmental disorders along with more traditional evidence of sufficient nutrient intake; and examines data about choline, a food component that in the past has not been considered essential in the human diet. Although the reference values are based on data, the data were often scanty or drawn from studies that had limitations in addressing the question. Thus, scientific judgment was required in setting the reference values. The reasoning used is described for each nutrient in Chapters 4 through 12. Evidence concerning the use of these nutrients for the amelioration or cure of disease or disability was not considered because that was beyond the project's scope of work.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• PANEL ON FOLATE, OTHER B VITAMINS, AND CHOLINE
• SUBCOMMITTEE ON UPPER REFERENCE LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS
• STANDING COMMITTEE ON THE SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
• FOOD AND NUTRITION BOARD
• Preface
• Summary
  • WHAT ARE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES?
  • COMPARISON OF RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES AND ADEQUATE INTAKES
  • APPROACH FOR SETTING DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
  • CRITERIA AND PROPOSED VALUES FOR TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • USING DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES TO ASSESS THE NUTRIENT INTAKE OF GROUPS
  • HOW TO MEET RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES OR ADEQUATE INTAKES
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
• 1. Introduction to Dietary Reference Intakes
  • WHAT ARE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES?
  • CATEGORIES OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
  • PARAMETERS FOR DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
  • SUMMARY
  • REFERENCES
• 2. The B Vitamins and Choline: Overview and Methods
  • OVERVIEW
  • METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS
  • ESTIMATES OF LABORATORY VALUES
  • ESTIMATES OF NUTRIENT INTAKE
  • DIETARY INTAKES IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA
  • SUMMARY
  • REFERENCES
• 3. A Model for the Development of Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
  • BACKGROUND
  • A MODEL FOR THE DERIVATION OF TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RISK ASSESSMENT AND FOOD SAFETY
  • APPLICATION OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT MODEL TO NUTRIENTS
  • STEPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVEL
  • REFERENCES
• 4. Thiamin
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR THIAMIN
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE THIAMIN REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF THIAMIN
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIAMIN
  • REFERENCES
• 5. Riboflavin
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR RIBOFLAVIN
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE RIBOFLAVIN REQUIREMENT
  • APPROACHES FOR DERIVING THE ESTIMATED AVERAGE REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF RIBOFLAVIN
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR RIBOFLAVIN
  • REFERENCES
• 6. Niacin
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR NIACIN
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE NIACIN REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF NIACIN
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NIACIN
  • REFERENCES
• 7. Vitamin B₆
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR VITAMIN B₆
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE VITAMIN B₆ REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF VITAMIN B₆
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VITAMIN B₆
  • REFERENCES
• 8. Folate
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR FOLATE
  • METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE FOLATE REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • REDUCING RISK OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS AND CHRONIC DEGENERATIVE DISEASE
  • INTAKE OF FOLATE
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOLATE
  • REFERENCES
• 9. Vitamin B₁₂
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR VITAMIN B₁₂
  • METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
  • DIAGNOSIS
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE VITAMIN B₁₂ REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF VITAMIN B₁₂
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VITAMIN B₁₂
  • REFERENCES
• 10. Pantothenic Acid
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR PANTOTHENIC ACID
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE PANTOTHENIC ACID REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF PANTOTHENIC ACID
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PANTOTHENIC ACID
  • REFERENCES
• 11. Biotin
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR BIOTIN
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE BIOTIN REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF BIOTIN
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BIOTIN
  • REFERENCES
• 12. Choline
  • BACKGROUND INFORMATION
  • SELECTION OF INDICATORS FOR ESTIMATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR CHOLINE
  • FACTORS AFFECTING THE CHOLINE REQUIREMENT
  • FINDINGS BY LIFE STAGE AND GENDER GROUP
  • INTAKE OF CHOLINE
  • TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • RESEARCH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHOLINE
  • REFERENCES
• 13. Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes
  • OVERVIEW
  • USING RECOMMENDED DIETARY ALLOWANCES
  • USING ADEQUATE INTAKES
  • USING TOLERABLE UPPER INTAKE LEVELS
  • USING ESTIMATED AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS
  • OTHER USES OF DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES
  • SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS
  • SUMMARY
  • REFERENCES
• 14. A Research Agenda
  • APPROACH
  • IMPORTANT FEATURES OF STUDIES TO ESTIMATE REQUIREMENTS
  • MAJOR KNOWLEDGE GAPS
  • THE RESEARCH AGENDA
• APPENDIXES
  • A Origin and Framework of the Development of Dietary Reference Intakes
  • B Acknowledgments
  • C Système International d'Unités
  • D Search Strategies
  • E Methodological Problems Associated with Laboratory Values and Food Composition Data for B Vitamins
  • F Dietary Intake Data from the Boston Nutritional Status Survey, 1981–1984
  • G Dietary Intake Data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), 1994–1995
  • H Dietary Intake Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988–1994
  • I Daily Intakes of B Vitamins by Canadian Men and Women, 1990, 1993
  • J Options for Dealing with Uncertainties in Developing Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
  • K Blood Concentrations of Folate and Vitamin B₁₂ from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988–1994
  • L Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase
  • M Evidence from Animal Studies on the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects
  • N Estimation of the Period Covered by Vitamin B₁₂ Stores
  • O Biographical Sketches
  • P Glossary and Abbreviations
• SUMMARY TABLE

This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Contract No. 282-96-0033, T01; the National Institutes of Health Office of Nutrition Supplements, Contract No. N01-OD-4-2139, T024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity; Health Canada; the Institute of Medicine; and the Dietary Reference Intakes Corporate Donors' Fund. Contributors to the Fund include Roche Vitamins Inc, Mead Johnson Nutrition Group, Daiichi Fine Chemicals, Inc, Kemin Foods, Inc, M&M Mars, Weider Nutrition Group, and Natural Source Vitamin E Association.

The opinions or conclusions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the funders.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.