Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Human Nutrition

In the past 20 years, micronutrients have assumed great public health importance. As a consequence, considerable research has been carried out to better understand their physiological role and the health consequences of micronutrient-deficient diets, to establish criteria for defining the degree of public health severity of micronutrient malnutrition, and to develop prevention and control strategies.

One of the main outcomes of this process is greatly improved knowledge of human micronutrient requirements, which is a crucial step in understanding the public health significance of micronutrient malnutrition and identifying the most appropriate measures to prevent them. This process also led to successive expert consultations and publications organized jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) providing up-to-date knowledge and defining standards for micronutrient requirements in 19731, 19882 and in 19963. In recognition of this rapidly developing field, and the substantial new advances that have been made since the most recent publication in 1996, FAO and WHO considered it appropriate to convene a new expert consultation to re-evaluate the role of micronutrients in human health and nutrition.

To this end, background papers on the major vitamins, minerals and trace elements were commissioned and reviewed at a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation (Bangkok, 21–30 September 1998). That Expert Consultation was assigned three main tasks:

• Firstly, the Consultation was asked to review the full range of vitamin and mineral requirements—19 micronutrients in all—including their role in normal human physiology and metabolism, and conditions of deficiency. This included focusing on and revising the requirements for essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D, E, and K; the B vitamins; calcium; iron; magnesium; zinc; selenium; and iodine, based on the available scientific evidence.
• Secondly, the Consultation was asked to prepare a report that would include recommended nutrient intakes for vitamins A, C, D, E, and K; the B vitamins; calcium; iron; magnesium; zinc; selenium; and iodine. The report should provide practical advice and recommendations which will constitute an authoritative source of information to all those from Member States who work in the areas of nutrition, agriculture, food production and distribution, and health promotion.
• Thirdly, the Consultation was asked to identify key issues for future research concerning each vitamin and mineral under review and to make preliminary recommendations on that research.

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