Editing Nutrient (section)

==Deficiencies and toxicity==
''See [[Vitamin]], [[Mineral (nutrient)]], [[Protein (nutrient)]]''

An inadequate amount of a nutrient is a deficiency. Deficiencies can be due to several causes, including an inadequacy in nutrient intake, called a dietary deficiency, or any of several conditions that interfere with the utilization of a nutrient within an organism.<ref name="Ensminger1994"/> Some of the conditions that can interfere with nutrient utilization include problems with nutrient absorption, substances that cause a greater-than-normal need for a nutrient, conditions that cause nutrient destruction, and conditions that cause greater nutrient excretion.<ref name="Ensminger1994"/> Nutrient toxicity occurs when excess consumption of a nutrient does harm to an organism.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Campbell TC, Allison RG, Fisher KD | title = Nutrient toxicity | journal = Nutrition Reviews | volume = 39 | issue = 6 | pages = 249–56 | date = June 1981 | pmid = 7312225 | doi = 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1981.tb07453.x }}</ref>

In the United States and Canada, recommended dietary intake levels of essential nutrients are based on the minimum level that "will maintain a defined level of nutriture in an individual", a definition somewhat different from that used by the [[World Health Organization]] and [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] of a "basal requirement to indicate the level of intake needed to prevent pathologically relevant and clinically detectable signs of a dietary inadequacy".<ref>{{cite book | author = Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds | chapter = Introduction to Dietary Reference Intakes. What are dietary reference intakes? | pages = 21–22 | title = Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids | chapter-url = https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225465/ |publisher=Institute of Medicine, US National Academies of Science|access-date=31 December 2017|date=2017|doi=10.17226/9810|pmid=25077263|isbn=978-0-309-06935-9}}</ref>

In setting human nutrient guidelines, government organizations do not necessarily agree on amounts needed to avoid deficiency or maximum amounts to avoid the risk of toxicity.<ref name=DRITable>{{cite web | url = http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRI-Tables/5Summary%20TableTables%2014.pdf?la=en | title = Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180911225459/http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRI-Tables/5Summary%20TableTables%2014.pdf?la=en | archive-date = 11 September 2018 | publisher = Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies }}</ref><ref name=EFSA>{{citation| title = Tolerable Upper Intake Levels For Vitamins And Minerals| publisher = European Food Safety Authority| year = 2006| url = http://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/efsa_rep/blobserver_assets/ndatolerableuil.pdf}}</ref><ref name=JapanDRI>[http://www.nibiohn.go.jp/eiken/info/pdf/dris2010en.pdf Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2010)] National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Japan</ref> For example, for [[vitamin C]], recommended intakes range from 40&nbsp;mg/day in India<ref name="NIN">{{cite web |url=http://icmr.nic.in/final/rda-2010.pdf |title=Nutrient Requirements and Recommended Dietary Allowances for Indians: A Report of the Expert Group of the Indian Council of Medical Research. pp.283-295 (2009) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160615094048/http://icmr.nic.in/final/RDA-2010.pdf |archive-date=15 June 2016  |access-date=31 December 2017 }}</ref> to 155&nbsp;mg/day for the European Union.<ref name=EFSA-Recommended>{{cite web |title=Overview on Dietary Reference Values for the EU population as derived by the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies |year=2017 |url=https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/DRV_Summary_tables_jan_17.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828082247/https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/DRV_Summary_tables_jan_17.pdf |archive-date=28 August 2017 }}</ref> The table below shows U.S. Estimated Average Requirements (EARs) and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamins and minerals, PRIs for the European Union (same concept as RDAs), followed by what three government organizations deem to be the safe upper intake. RDAs are set higher than EARs to cover people with higher-than-average needs. Adequate Intakes (AIs) are set when there is insufficient information to establish EARs and RDAs. Countries establish [[tolerable upper intake levels]], also referred to as upper limits (ULs), based on amounts that cause adverse effects. Governments are slow to revise information of this nature. For the U.S. values, except calcium and vitamin D, all data date from 1997 to 2004.<ref name="DRI" />

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Nutrient !! rowspan="2"|U.S. EAR<ref name=DRITable /> !! rowspan="2"|Highest U.S.<br>RDA or AI<ref name=DRITable /> !! rowspan="2"|Highest EU<br>PRI or AI<ref name=EFSA-Recommended />!! colspan="3"|Upper limit !! rowspan="2"|Unit
|-
! U.S.<ref name=DRITable /> !! EU <ref name=EFSA /> !! Japan<ref name=JapanDRI />
|-
| [[Vitamin A]] || 625 || 900 || 1300 || 3000 || 3000 || 2700 || μg
|-
| [[Vitamin C]] || 75 || 90 || 155 || 2000 || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Vitamin D]] || 10 || 15 || 15 || 100 || 100 || 100 || μg
|-
| [[Vitamin K]] || NE || 120 || 70 || ND || ND || ND || μg
|-
| [[Tocopherol|α-tocopherol]] (Vit E) || 12 || 15 || 13 || 1000 || 300 || 650–900 || mg
|-
| [[Thiamin]] (Vit B<sub>1</sub>) || 1.0 || 1.2 || 0.1&nbsp;mg/MJ || ND || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Riboflavin]] (Vit B<sub>2</sub>) || 1.1 || 1.3 || 2.0 || ND || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Niacin (nutrient)|Niacin]]* (Vit B<sub>3</sub>) || 12 || 16 || 1.6&nbsp;mg/MJ || 35 || 10 || 60-85 || mg
|-
| [[Pantothenic acid]] (Vit B<sub>5</sub>) || NE || 5 || 7 || ND || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Vitamin B6|Vitamin B<sub>6</sub>]] || 1.1 || 1.3 || 1.8 || 100 || 25 || 40-60 || mg
|-
| [[Biotin]] (Vit B<sub>7</sub>) || NE || 30 || 45 || ND || ND || ND || μg
|-
| [[Folate]] (Vit B<sub>9</sub>) || 320 || 400 || 600 || 1000 || 1000 || 900-1000 || μg
|-
| [[Cobalamin]] (Vit B<sub>12</sub>) || 2.0 || 2.4 || 5.0 || ND || ND || ND || μg
|-
| [[Choline]] || NE || 550 || 520 || 3500 || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Calcium]] || 800 || 1000 || 1000 || 2500 || 2500 || 2500 || mg
|-
| [[Chloride]] || NE || 2300 || NE || 3600 || ND || ND || mg
|-
| [[Chromium]] || NE || 35 || NE || ND || ND || ND || μg
|-
| [[Copper]] || 700 || 900 || 1600 || 10000 || 5000 || 10000 || μg
|-
| [[Fluoride]] || NE || 4 || 3.4 || 10 || 7 || ____ || mg
|-
| [[Iodine]] || 95 || 150 || 200 || 1100 || 600 || 3000 || μg
|-
| [[Iron]] || 6 || 18 <small>(females)</small><br>8<small> (males)</small> || 16 <small>(females)</small><br>11<small> (males)</small> || 45 || ND || 40-45 || mg
|-
| [[Magnesium]]* || 350 ||  420 || 350 || 350 || 250 || 350 || mg
|-
| [[Manganese]] || NE || 2.3 || 3.0 || 11 || ND || 11 || mg
|-
| [[Molybdenum]] || 34 || 45 || 65 || 2000 || 600 || 450-550 || μg
|-
| [[Phosphorus]] || 580 || 700 || 640 || 4000 || ND || 3000 || mg
|-
| [[Potassium]] || NE || 4700 || 4000 || ND || ND || 2700-3000 || mg
|-
| [[Selenium]] || 45 || 55 || 70 || 400 || 300 || 330-460 || μg
|-
| [[Sodium]] || NE || 1500 || NE || 2300 || ND || 3000-3600 || mg
|-
| [[Zinc]] || 9.4 || 11 || 16.3 || 40 || 25 || 35-45 || mg
|}

<nowiki>*</nowiki> The daily recommended amounts of niacin and magnesium are higher than the tolerable upper limit because, for both nutrients, the ULs identify the amounts that will not increase the risk of adverse effects when the nutrients are consumed as a serving of a dietary supplement. Magnesium supplementation above the UL may cause diarrhea. Supplementation with niacin above the UL may cause flushing of the face and a sensation of body warmth. Each country or regional regulatory agency decides on a safety margin below when symptoms occur so that the ULs may differ based on the source.<ref name=DRITable /><ref name=EFSA />

'''EAR''' U.S. Estimated Average Requirements.

'''RDA''' U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances; higher for adults than children and may be even higher for pregnant or lactating women.

'''AI''' U.S. Adequate Intake; AIs are established when there is insufficient information to set EARs and RDAs.

'''PRI''' Population Reference Intake is the European Union equivalent of RDA; it is higher for adults than for children and maybe even higher for pregnant or lactating women. For Thiamin and Niacin, the PRIs are expressed as amounts per megajoule (239 kilocalories) of food energy consumed.

'''Upper Limit''' Tolerable upper intake levels.

'''ND''' ULs have not been determined.

'''NE''' EARs, PRIs, or AIs have not yet been established or will not be (EU does not consider chromium an essential nutrient).