status report - Office of Dietary Supplements - National Institutes of ...

compatible with low risk of toxicity. Through this project, the subcommittee applied the model
to scientific information on folate and related nutrients. As part of the process, the FNB held
workshops to solicit the opinions of experts and practitioners in conjunction with a public forum.
The final report, Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B 6 , folate,
vitamin B 12 , pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline (IOM, 1998) establishes maximum levels of
intake compatible with low risk of toxicity and, where adequate information is available,
provides recommendations for upper levels of safety for folate, vitamin B 12 , vitamin B 6 , and
related nutrients. The full report is available from the National Academy Press or through the
FNB web site (http://www2.nas.edu/fnb/). Report released: 1998.
Scientific report:
• Institute of Medicine (IOM) (1998) Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin,
vitamin B 6 , folate, vitamin B 12 , pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. National Academy of
Sciences, Food and Nutrition Board. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Role for Coenzyme Q 10 in the Aging Process: Potential Benefits of Q 10 Supplementation, A
Workshop
The ODS co-funded a workshop organized by the National Institute on Aging on the role
of coenzyme Q 10 and the aging process. Discussions focused on the role of coenzyme Q 10 as a
synergistic antioxidant, the regulatory role of coenzyme Q 10 by nitric oxide in the mitochondria,
and the long-term effects of coenzyme Q 10 supplementation. New data and insight provided a
possible role of coenzyme Q 10 in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and
Huntington’s diseases and in cardiovascular diseases. However, the group concurred that much is
still to be learned about basic biochemical pathways and metabolism and bioavailability of
coenzyme Q 10. Workshop held: August 31–September 1, 1998, Bethesda, MD.
Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Copper Needs Across the Life Span, A
Workshop
The ODS co-sponsored a workshop initiated by the Fogarty International Center and the
University of Chile; other co-sponsors included the National Institutes of Child Health and
Human Development, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The workshop brought together over 60 international scientists from academia, industry, and
government agencies that work in the area of copper metabolism, requirements, or toxicity. This
group reviewed, from an international perspective, the recent significant advances in
understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic disorders of copper metabolism
and their implications for copper intake and exposure. One session of the workshop focused on
the difficult question of how to adequately measure copper status in humans. The conference
further identified research gaps related to copper requirements, copper-nutrient interactions, and
specific disease end points with regard to dietary supplementation with copper. Workshop held:
March 18–20, 1996, Bethesda, MD.
Publication from this workshop:
• Lönnerdal, B. and Uauy, R., eds. (1998) Genetic and environmental determinants of copper
metabolism. Proceedings of an international conference held in Bethesda, MD, March 18–20,
1996. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 67:5(S).
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