ARS | Publication request: NEW ESTIMATES FOR OLD NUTRIENTS: AN APPLICATION OF THE USDA SURVEY NUTRIENT DATABASE

Submitted to: American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2003
Publication Date: October 1, 2003
Publisher's URL: http://www.eatright.org/Public/ConferencesAndEvents/96 fnce.cfm
Citation: Ahuja, J.K.C., Goldman, J.D., Moshfegh, A.J. 2003. New Estimates for Old Nutrients: An application of the USDA Survey Nutrient Database [abstract]. Journal of American Dietetics Association. 103(9 Suppl 1):A-54.

Technical Abstract: The new Dietary Reference Intakes use new units to express the reference values for vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E. The new units are micrograms (mcg) of Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) for vitamin A, mcg of Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE) for folate, and milligrams (mg) of alpha-tocopherol (AT) for vitamin E. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Survey Nutrient Database (SNDB) was recently updated to include food composition values in the new units for 7500+ foods. The database was then applied to food intake data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 and Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (CSFII) 1994-96 for men and women 19 and over to provide national probability estimates of intakes from foods for these three nutrients. The mean intakes for vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E using NHANES 1999-2000 for men were about 630 mcg RAE, 600 mcg DFE, and 8.0 mg AT, respectively; and for women the intakes were about 590 mcg RAE, 470 mcg DFE, and 6.6 mg AT, respectively. These intakes will be compared to intakes using CSFII 1994-96, and database issues will be discussed. The USDA SNDB represents the most comprehensive nutrient database available for foods as consumed by the U.S. population. The database may be used to study nutrient and food intake patterns of the U.S. population, as related to health or economic factors.