Calcium intakes will be examined by FNB subcommittees at two meetings in July.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
CALCIUM INTAKE OF U.S. POPULATION TO BE REVIEWED AT OPEN MEETINGS in Washington, D.C. on July 9-10 and July 15-16 before two subcommittees of the Food & Nutrition Board, FDA announced in the June 6 Federal Register. FDA and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the Institute of Medicine (IoM) and FNB to review calcium intake and metabolism and prepare a scientific report addressing the optimal intake of calcium and related nutrients.
|
CALCIUM INTAKE OF U.S. POPULATION TO BE REVIEWED AT OPEN MEETINGS in Washington, D.C. on July 9-10 and July 15-16 before two subcommittees of the Food & Nutrition Board, FDA announced in the June 6 Federal Register. FDA and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have asked the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the Institute of Medicine (IoM) and FNB to review calcium intake and metabolism and prepare a scientific report addressing the optimal intake of calcium and related nutrients. "Recent research and data have suggested that calcium intakes may be inadequate to meet the needs of many population groups in the U.S., particularly with regard to the calcium intake during adolescence and young adulthood," FDA explained in the notice. "However," the agency added, "controversy exists regarding what the optimal intake should be for calcium and related nutrients (such as vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus and fluoride) in order to prevent deficiency states (such as osteomalacia and rickets) while at the same time reducing the risk of degenerative diseases (such as osteoporosis) and also taking into account the potential effects of chronic ingestion of lower levels of intake during some life stages." FDA has asked NAS/IoM to review both the scientific literature on calcium metabolism through the stages of human life as well as data on intakes in the U.S. The analysis will include an examination of related nutrients and of non-nutrient compounds in foods (such as phytosterols and fiber) in relation to the bioavailability of calcium. A third aim of the review will be to determine upper safe levels of intake. The July 9-10 meeting will focus on the functional indicators of calcium, phosphorus, fluoride and vitamin D for each stage of human life. The meeting will be held by the Food & Nutrition Board's panel on calcium and related nutrients, a subunit of FNB's Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Speakers have been invited to present their views on appropriate measures of attaining adequate intake levels of these nutrients. Interested individuals and organizations are invited to present their perspectives on the determination of dietary reference intakes during an open forum portion of the meeting. The July 15-16 meeting will focus on developing safe upper intake levels and will be held by FNB's Subcommittee on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients -- another subunit of the RDI committee. Speakers have been invited to present their views on appropriate measures of adequacy for calcium and related nutrients. This meeting also will include an open forum for interested individuals. Both meetings will be held from 8:30 to 5:30 in the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences Building at 2101 Constitution Ave., NW. |