Korean Nutrition Society Issues New Recommended Daily Allowances

The Korean Nutrition Society said on October 23 that it has set its DRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes), which include upper intake limits and appropriate intake limits for 44 nutrients such as iodine.

The Korean Nutrition Society has issued its recommended nutrient amounts since 1962 and has revised them seven times as of 2000. Reflecting the changes of the time, the Korean Nutrition Society recently made a new standard for nutrition intake in 43 years with the shift from “lower limits” to “upper limits.” Details of the new DRIs will be disclosed at an international academic conference scheduled to be held in Gyeongju starting November 3.

According to the confirmed version of DRIs obtained by Dong-A Ilbo, the Korean Nutrition Society set the upper limits for 18 nutrients for the first time with the aim of preventing the excessive intake of nutrients. The upper limits are the warning figures indicating that the excessive intake of nutrients beyond the recommended level can cause health problems.

For instance, a man in his 30s is recommended to have 3mg of iodine (contained in 300 mg of brown sea weed or sea tangle), 2000mg of vitamin C (contained in 20 tomatoes or kiwi), and 45mg of iron (contained in 1.8 kg of beef).

One bottle of a popular vitamin beverage has 700 mg of vitamin C. If one drinks more than three bottle of the beverage, he/she surpasses the upper limit.

The recommended nutrient amount suggested the least amount of intake, or lower limits, as well, in light of the poor nutrient status of people who suffer from hunger, at the time the recommendations were made.

However, the recommendations became inappropriate because the level of diet quality improved and more and more people began taking nutrient supplements, resulting in the over intake of nutrients.

According to the Korea Food and Drug Administration, the obese population among male children and young people out of the total children population increased 13 times to 17.9 percent in 20 years. Obesity is caused by excessive intake of energy and leads to chronic diseases including diabetes or high blood pressure.

According to research conducted by team led by Professor Kim Hwa-young of Ewha Womans University in 2004, 59 percent of middle-aged men take health-improving supplements. Some of the supplements have a disproportionately large amount of some nutrients, like products made of sea tangles.

ditto@donga.com