Recommended Intake and Dietary Intake of Vitamin A for Koreans by Unit of Retinol Activity Equivalent

Kim, Youngnam

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
New retinol activity equivalent (RAE) was introduced as vitamin A unit in Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for Koreans 2015. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of 2015 reference intake (RI) of vitamin A in RAE unit by the comparison with RI and dietary intake of vitamin A.
METHODS
Analyses on RI of vitamin A were based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Koreans (1962~2000) and DRIs for Koreans (2005~2015). Analyses on Koreans dietary intake of vitamin A were based on the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) reports (1969-2014). For recalculation of RI and dietary intake of vitamin A in RE to RAE, 2013 Koreans intake of retinol: carotenoids ratio of 13: 87 was applied.
RESULTS
RI of vitamin A was 600~750 RE for Korean adult, and 339~425 RAE when calculated by applying the retinol and carotenoids intake ratio. Vitamin A intakes of Koreans were <100% RI, 267~668 RE from 1969 to 2001. From 2005, vitamin A intake had increased to >700 RE, >100% RI. When vitamin A intake was converted from RE to RAE (2005~2014), 718~864 RE became 405.8~488.1 RAE, decreased to 56.5% level. The recent 2015 RI of vitamin A is 850 RAE, two times of 2005 & 2010 RI of 425 RAE for adult male.
CONCLUSIONS
When nutritional status of vitamin A was assessed for Koreans using the estimated average requirement (EAR) of 2015 (570, 460 RAE for male, female adults, respectively), ratio of deficient people increased significantly when judged based on the previous intake of Koreans, <490 RAE. We needs to examine the 2015 RI (EAR) of vitamin A, find a way to measure the accurate intake of dietary vitamin A, and to increase the dietary intake of this vitamin.