ARS | Publication request: Analytical antioxidant content in selected adult multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements

Submitted to: Experimental Biology
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: November 29, 2006
Publication Date: April 25, 2007
Citation: Zhao, C., Andrews, K., Schweitzer, A., Roseland, J.M., Holden, J.M., Douglass, L., Perry, C., Dwyer, J., Picciano, M., Fisher, K., Saldanha, L., Yetley, E. 2007. Analytical antioxidant content in selected adult multivitamin/mineral (MVM) supplements. Experimental Biology, April 25, 2007, Washington, D.C.

Technical Abstract: Intakes of antioxidants '-carotene, vitamins C and E, and selenium can be greater from supplements than from foods, so determination of actual levels in MVMs is important if accurate estimates of exposures are to be possible. We assessed frequency of reported percent Daily Value (%DV) levels in MVMs using NHANES 2001-02 data. The top 3 %DV levels represented 70 to 80% of weighted frequency of consumption for each nutrient. The most frequently reported % DV levels were 100 and 200 for '-carotene, vitamins C and E, in addition to 20 for beta-carotene, 833 for vitamin C, 333 for vitamin E, and 28, 285 and 100 in ranked order for selenium. Six MVMs were randomly selected at each of the 3 DV levels (n=18) for each nutrient and analyzed to ascertain content. The standard deviation for beta-carotene content compared to labeled DV values was 14, 39, and 54% at DV levels of 20, 100, and 200% respectively. Analytical values for vitamin C were within 8% at all 3 DV levels. Vitamin E mean values were 77% and 99% greater than the labeled 100 and 200% DVs respectively (both p<0.001). MVMs containing d-'-tocopheryl as the natural vitamin E ingredient had analytical values closer to label than MVMs containing synthetic dl-' tocopheryl. Analytical results for selenium were 21-26% higher than label at all 3 DV levels. Preliminary results for these 4 nutrients indicate that differences between label and analytical values vary by nutrient. Funded by USDA & ODS/NIH Y1CN5010.