Lower Prevalence Of Vitamin And Mineral Deficiencies Among Adolescent Users Of Full Spectrum Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplements

Introduction: Adequate intake of vitamins and minerals is essential for supporting health, however intakes of several vitamins and minerals from food are below the recommendations in US adolescents. Dietary supplements (DS) and full spectrum multivitamin/multimineral (FSMV) supplements help improve nutrient intakes. We aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin/mineral deficiency in US adolescents, and associations between DS and FSMV use and the prevalence of vitamin/mineral deficiency. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of serum vitamins A, B6, B12, folate, C, D, E, and serum minerals iron and iodine in 4637 adolescents aged 9-18y from the NHANES (2003-2006) dataset. Deficiencies were defined using standard age and gender-based cutoffs established by the CDC and the WHO. Supplement use categories were no DS use, DS use other than a FSMV, or use of a FSMV containing 蠅12 vitamins and 6-14 minerals. Analyses took into account the complex survey design and were weighted to be representative of the US popul...