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Use and misuse of balance studies
1U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, MD 20705.
The Journal of Nutrition
|November 1, 1987
Summary
Balance studies are insufficient for determining human mineral and trace element needs. These studies only show dietary amounts that maintain current body stores, not optimal health levels.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Human Physiology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Determining human requirements for essential minerals and trace elements is crucial for public health and nutrition.
- Current methods, such as balance studies, are widely used but may have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the adequacy of balance studies for establishing human mineral and trace element requirements.
- To highlight the limitations of using body pool size as a sole indicator of nutritional status.
Main Methods:
- Review and analysis of the principles and applications of mineral and trace element balance studies.
- Comparison of balance study outcomes with established health indicators.
Main Results:
- Balance studies primarily assess the dietary intake needed to maintain a subject's existing body pool size for a given element.
- These studies do not directly measure or confirm the health implications or requirements associated with maintaining that specific pool size.
Conclusions:
- Balance studies are inadequate for definitively determining human requirements for minerals and trace elements.
- Further research using independent methods is necessary to establish the health relevance of body pool sizes and to set accurate nutritional requirements.