TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin intake from food supplements in a German cohort - is there a risk of excessive intake?

AU - Willers, J.

AU - Heinemann, M.

AU - Bitterlich, N.

AU - Hahn, Andreas

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2014 Hans Huber Publishers, Hogrefe AG, Bern. Copyright: Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Food supplements, if not properly used, may lead to potentially harmful nutrient intake. The purpose of this survey was to examine vitamin intake from food supplements. Taking into account the intake from food, as obtained from the National Nutrition Survey, it was determined whether the tolerable upper intake levels (ULs) were exceeded via supplements alone, or in combination with food. Data from 1070 supplement users (18 - 93 years) was available. The dietary and supplemental vitamin intakes of three groups were analyzed: average intake (50th percentile food + 50th percentile supplements), middle-high intake (50th + 95th ) and high intake (95th + 95th ). Vitamin C (53 %), vitamin E (45 %) and B vitamins (37 - 45 %) were consumed most frequently. Few subjects (n = 7) reached or exceeded the ULs through supplements alone. The UL for vitamin A and folate was reached by a few men in the middlehigh group, and by a few men and women in the high intake group. Otherwise, even in the high intake group, the recommended vitamin D intake of 20 μg/day (in case of insufficient endogenous synthesis) could not be achieved. The use of food supplements was not associated with excessive vitamin intake in this survey, except in a small number of cases. Vitamin A intake above the UL was the result of high dietary intake which also included the intake of β-carotene, rather than the result of overconsumption of food supplements. Diets mainly included folate from natural sources, which has no associated risk.

AB - Food supplements, if not properly used, may lead to potentially harmful nutrient intake. The purpose of this survey was to examine vitamin intake from food supplements. Taking into account the intake from food, as obtained from the National Nutrition Survey, it was determined whether the tolerable upper intake levels (ULs) were exceeded via supplements alone, or in combination with food. Data from 1070 supplement users (18 - 93 years) was available. The dietary and supplemental vitamin intakes of three groups were analyzed: average intake (50th percentile food + 50th percentile supplements), middle-high intake (50th + 95th ) and high intake (95th + 95th ). Vitamin C (53 %), vitamin E (45 %) and B vitamins (37 - 45 %) were consumed most frequently. Few subjects (n = 7) reached or exceeded the ULs through supplements alone. The UL for vitamin A and folate was reached by a few men in the middlehigh group, and by a few men and women in the high intake group. Otherwise, even in the high intake group, the recommended vitamin D intake of 20 μg/day (in case of insufficient endogenous synthesis) could not be achieved. The use of food supplements was not associated with excessive vitamin intake in this survey, except in a small number of cases. Vitamin A intake above the UL was the result of high dietary intake which also included the intake of β-carotene, rather than the result of overconsumption of food supplements. Diets mainly included folate from natural sources, which has no associated risk.

KW - Excessive intake

KW - Food supplements

KW - Survey

KW - Tolerable upper intake level

KW - Vitamins

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930176710&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1024/0300-9831/a000202

DO - 10.1024/0300-9831/a000202

M3 - Article

VL - 84

SP - 152

EP - 162

JO - International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research

JF - International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research

SN - 1664-2821

IS - 3-4

ER -