Abstract
Background: The key issue is whether voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements available on the market serve public health needs. The study aim was to estimate nutrient intakes from voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements in relation to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in adolescents (n = 759) aged 13–19 who attended public secondary schools in Central-Eastern Poland.Methods: Data on the consumption of voluntarily fortified foods were collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire containing 58 food items. Data on the use of dietary supplements were assessed via an open-ended question. The content of nutrients was estimated using the producer's labeling declaration. The distribution of nutrient intakes according to the percentage of DRI categories (<20%, 20–39.9%, 40–59.9%, 60–79.9%, 80–99.9%, 100–119%, or >120%) was estimated.Results: Consumption of voluntarily fortified foods was a common behavior in adolescents (86.7% of participants), while vitamin/mineral supplements were used by less than one-fifth of them (17.7%). The amounts of nutrient intakes from fortified foods and/or supplements were at different levels: (I) vitamins A, D, calcium, magnesium (>50% of adolescents did not exceed 20% of DRI); (II) vitamins E, B12, iron (>50% of respondents consumed at least 20% of DRI); (III) niacin and pantothenic acid (>50% of respondents consumed at least 40% of DRI); IV) vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, folate, biotin (>50% of participants consumed at least 60% of DRI). In a subgroup of respondents who used fortified foods and supplements simultaneously (n = 126), some nutrients (i.e., vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, niacin, and biotin) were consumed in amounts ≥150% of DRI. Intake above the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels was observed for niacin, vitamin A, B6 and folic acid in individual cases (up to 1.1% of respondents); a higher risk of overconsumption was associated with using vitamin/mineral supplements than voluntarily fortified foods.Conclusion: Adolescents should be educated on how to reasonably use fortified foods and dietary supplements to help to overcome the potential deficiency of nutrients without causing excessive consumption.
Highlights
The intake of most vitamins and minerals in European countries is generally adequate; the risk of a low intake of some nutrients is likely to appear in specific population subgroups, such as children and adolescents [1]
The results indicate that the consumption of additional sources of vitamins and/or minerals was a common practice among adolescents
The results of our study showed that adolescents consumed nutrients from additional sources at various levels, at least 50% of adolescents consumed vitamin C and the majority of B vitamins from voluntarily fortified foods (VFFs) and/or vitamin/mineral supplements (VMSs) in amounts, which may prevent inadequate intake, i.e., above 40% of Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)
Summary
The intake of most vitamins and minerals in European countries is generally adequate; the risk of a low intake of some nutrients (e.g., vitamin D, iron, and iodine) is likely to appear in specific population subgroups, such as children and adolescents [1]. A large number of voluntarily fortified foods (VFFs) on the market makes it necessary to choose products that could effectively complement nutritional deficiencies, which demands nutritional knowledge from consumers. The key issue is whether voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements available on the market serve public health needs. The study aim was to estimate nutrient intakes from voluntarily fortified foods and vitamin/mineral supplements in relation to the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) in adolescents (n = 759) aged 13–19 who attended public secondary schools in Central-Eastern Poland
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