Table 2.
Life-stage-specific micronutrient deficiencies in Europe. Reported micronutrient intakes that are below the recommended dietary allowance are shown in bold. The table also shows the tolerable upper intake levels, the highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects in most people.
| Select Micronutrients | Recommended Dietary Allowance [78] | Tolerable Upper Intake Levels [78] | Reported Mean Micronutrient Intakes, Min–Max [96] | ||||||
|
Children a 4–8 years 9–13 years 14–18 years: M/F |
Adults 19–50 years: M/F b |
Older age 51 to >70 years: M/F |
Children a 4–8 years 9–13 years 14–18 years |
Adults 19–50 years: b |
Older age 51 to >70 years |
Children 4–6 years: M/F 7–9 years: M/F 10–14 years: M/F 15–18 years: M/F |
Adults 19–50 years: M/F |
Older age 51 to >70 years: M/F |
|
| Vitamin C, mg/day | 25 45 75/65 |
90/75 | 90/75 | 650 1200 1800/1800 |
2000 | 2000 | 60–157/61–157 63–172/57–172 73–197/77–222 71–201/67–205 |
64–153/62–153 | 59–142/60–160 |
| Vitamin D, μg/day | 15 | 15 | 15–20 | 75 100 100/100 |
100 | 100 | 1.8–5.8/1.5–6.5 1.5–6.4/1.5–5.1 1.5–4.8/1.2–4.5 1.8–7.5/1.5–7.1 |
1.6–10.9/1.2–10.1 | 0.7–15.0/0.7–12.9 |
| Vitamin A, μg/day | 400 600 900/700 |
900/700 | 900/700 | 900 1700 2800/2800 |
3000 | 3000 | 400–1100/400–1200 400–1300/400–1100 400–2400/300–2300 400–1800/300–1600 |
500–2200/500–2000 | 500–2500/400–2300 |
| Vitamin E, mg/day | 7 11 15 |
15 | 15 | 300 600 800 |
1000 | 1000 | 5.3–9.8/5.1–9.8 6.3–11.2/5.9–13.3 5.9–14.5/5.6–18.1 6.8–20.8/6.0–15.5 |
3.3–17.7/4.2–16.1 | 6.3–13.7/6.7–13.7 |
| Vitamin B6, mg/day | 0.6 1.0 1.3/1.2 |
1.3 | 1.7/1.5 | 40 60 80 |
100 | 100 | 1.3–1.8/1.0–1.9 1.2–2.5/1.1–1.9 1.2–2.8/1.1–2.7 1.5–3.1/1.2–2.5 |
1.6–3.5/1.3–2.1 | 1.2–3.0/1.2–2.9 |
| Vitamin B12, μg/day | 1.2 1.8 2.4 |
2.4 | 2.4 | ND | ND | ND | 2.7–5.3/2.6–5.0 3.6–5.5/2.2–5.3 3.2–11.8/2.2–11.1 4.9–7.5/3.5–5.2 |
1.9–9.3/1.0–8.8 | 3.1–8.2/2.5–7.5 |
| Folate, μg/day | 200 300 400 |
300-400 | 400 | 400 600 800 |
1000 | 1000 | 120–256/109–199 144–290/133–264 149–428/140–360 190–365/154–298 |
203–494/131–392 | 139–343/121–335 |
| Zinc, mg/day | 5 8 11/9 |
11/8 | 11/8 | 12 23 34 |
40 | 40 | 6.0–9.2/5.3–8.9 7.0–10.9/6.4–9.4 7.0–14.6/6.1–13.9 9.3–15.2/6.4–11.0 |
8.6–14.6/6.7–10.7 | 7.5–12.3/6.7–11.2 |
| Iron, mg/day | 10 8 11/15 |
8/18 | 8 | 40 40 45 |
45 | 45 | 7.3–10.6/6.8–10.6 8.4–11.8/7.7–11.8 9.2–19.4/7.7–14.8 10.2–19.0/7.8–14.0 |
10.6–26.9/8.2–22.2 | 10.2–25.2/8.5–20.9 |
| Copper, μg/day | 440 700 890 |
900 | 900 | 3000 5000 8000 |
10,000 | 10,000 | 700–2200/700–2000 900–2800/800–2600 800–2900/700-2800 1200–3400/800–2100 |
1100–2300/1000–2200 | 1100–1900/900–1900 |
| Selenium, μg/day | 30 40 55 |
55 | 55 | 150 280 400 |
400 | 400 | 23–61/24–61 27–41/26–58 29–110/28–104 39–59/30–38 |
36–73/31–54 | 39–62/34–55 |
a Although adequate intake values are provided by the Institute of Medicine for infants (0–12 months) and recommended dietary allowances for children (1–3 years) [78], there are few data regarding micronutrient deficiencies in this age groups in industrialized countries and these ages have therefore not been included in this table; b values differ in pregnancy and lactation. F, females; M, males; ND, not determined.