Exposure Assessment of Vitamins and Minerals from Various Sources of Koreans

In recent years a concern of excessive intakes of vitamins and minerals from various sources is increasing, since there has been a marked increase in production and consumption of vitamin and mineral supplements and fortified foods. The purpose of this study was to assess the maximum exposure of vitamins and minerals from various sources including diet, fortified foods, and health functional foods among Koreans. As a result, the highest exposure group of most vitamins and minerals from diet was adults (30 - 49 years of age) according to 2001 Korean National Nutrition and Health Survey Report. Maximum dietary intakes of vitamin A, , C, nicotinamide, calcium, phosphorus and iron were 0.5 - 7 times of the RDA for Koreans, 7th ed. Maximum intakes of vitamins and minerals from fortified foods by adults (20 - 59 years of age) were 8 - 760% of the Korean RDA. In addition, maximum exposure of vitamins and minerals from vitamin mineral health functional foods by middle aged people was 35 - 140% of the upper limits (UL: DRI for Koreans). As a consequence, maximum combined intakes of vitamin , vitamin C, calcium, iron and zinc from the above sources including diet, fortified foods and vitamin mineral health functional foods were greater than the UL. These results would be applied for determining the safe upper limits of vitamin and mineral of health functional foods.