Are low tolerable upper intake levels for vitamin A undermining effective food fortification efforts?

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major health problem, particularly in low‐resource countries, putting an estimated 125–130 million preschool‐aged children at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. Vitamin A supplementation reduces VAD and increases child survival; it is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrition reviews 2008-09, Vol.66 (9), p.517-525
Main Authors: Kraemer, Klaus, Waelti, Monika, De Pee, Saskia, Moench-Pfanner, Regina, Hathcock, John N, Bloem, Martin W, Semba, Richard D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Child, Preschool
Developing Countries
Diet
Dietary Supplements
Feeding. Feeding behavior
Female
Food
food fortification
Food, Fortified
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Infant
Infection - complications
Male
Maximum Allowable Concentration
Middle Aged
Mortality
Nutrition
Nutritional Requirements
Pregnancy
Preschool children
risk management tools
safety
Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems
Vitamin A
Vitamin A - administration & dosage
Vitamin A - adverse effects
vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A Deficiency - complications
Vitamin A Deficiency - drug therapy
Vitamin A Deficiency - prevention & control
Young Adult
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Summary:Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a major health problem, particularly in low‐resource countries, putting an estimated 125–130 million preschool‐aged children at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases. Vitamin A supplementation reduces VAD and increases child survival; it is complemented by fortifying foods with vitamin A. Concern over increased risk of bone fracture associated with vitamin A intakes below the tolerable upper intake level (UL) among populations in affluent countries conflicts with the need to increase intakes in less developed countries, where populations are at greater risk of VAD and intakes are unlikely to reach the UL as diets include fewer foods containing retinol while vitamin A from carotenoids poses no risk of overdose. With the implementation of recently developed risk management tools, vitamin A can be used safely in food fortification, including point‐of‐use fortification in the context of supplementation among specific target groups in low‐resource countries.
ISSN:0029-6643
1753-4887
DOI:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00084.x