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Use of Nutritional Supplements among Mexican Women and the Estimated Impact on Dietary Intakes below the EAR and above the UL

Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Centro de Investigación en Nutrición y Salud. Cuernavaca, Morelos, MEXICO

Address reprint requests to: Fabiola Mejia-Rodriguez, Centro de Investigación en Nutrición y Salud, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad No. 655, Sta. Ma. Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Mor. CP 62508, MEXICO. E-mail: fmejia{at}insp.mx

Objective: To describe supplement use practices among non-pregnant, non-lactating Mexican women (12–49 y) and estimate their impact on the proportion of women with intakes below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and above the Upper Limit (UL) using data from a national probabilistic nutrition survey in Mexico (1999).

Methods: Information was collected by questionnaire on the frequency and duration of supplement use in the previous 6 months (n = 17,794). Dietary intakes by 24-hour recall were determined in a representative sub-sample (n = 2,599). Frequency of use and available information on the nutrient content of supplements was used to estimate daily equivalent intakes.

Results: 17.6% of women reported to have used supplements. The majority of these took supplements once daily (71%) and for 2 months (75%). While nutrient intakes from diet alone did not differ between users and non-users, the proportion with intakes of Vitamins A, B₆, B₁₂, and C, folate, iron, and zinc < EAR were significantly greater among the supplement non-users when intakes from supplements were also considered. The proportion of women with intakes > UL was greater among supplement users than non-users for iron, folate and Vitamin B₆.

Conclusion: Supplement use contributes to the adequacy of nutrient intakes but may also increase the possible risk of toxic intakes of some nutrients among Mexican women.

Key words: diet, Mexico, minerals, supplements, vitamins, women