AUTHOR=Sicińska Ewa , Pietruszka Barbara , Januszko Olga , Jakubowski Sebastian , Kielak-Biskupska Kamila , Rolf Katarzyna , Kaluza Joanna 

TITLE=Intake of Vitamins and Minerals From Voluntarily Fortified Foods and/or Dietary Supplements in School Adolescents in Central-Eastern Poland

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.504015

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2020.504015

ISSN=2296-2565

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 labelling declaration. The distribution of nutrient intakes according to the percentage of DRI categories (&lt;20%, 20-39.9%, 40-59.9%, 60-79.9%, 80-99.9%, 100-119%, or &gt;120%) was estimated. 
Results: Consumption of voluntarily fortified foods was a common behaviour 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 (&gt;50% of adolescents did not exceed 20% of DRI); II) vitamins E, B12, iron (&gt;50% of respondents consumed at least 20% of DRI); III) niacin and pantothenic acid (&gt;50% of respondents consumed at least 40% of DRI);  IV) vitamins C, B1, B2, B6, folate, biotin (&gt;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.