Supplements as a source of micronutrient intake in middle-aged men in southern Germany: results of the MONICA dietary survey 1994/95.

Survey data on contemporary supplement intake in Germany are scarce, and the contribution of supplements to nutrient intake is especially unclear. In the MONICA Project Augsburg a dietary survey using 7-day weighed records was carried out in a subsample of 607 eligible men aged 45-64 years from the city of Augsburg (participation 430 men = 71%) in 1994/95. Participants also reported their intake of supplements. The German national food data base BLS (version 2.1), which was used to code the records and calculate the nutrients, had to be complemented by nutrient data of supplements and fortified foods. On a group level the maximum mean percentage contribution of supplements to the intake of a micro nutrient was 4.0% (vitamin C). On an individual level, however, up to 4.0% of the men were found to receive more than 50% of their intake of selected micronutrients from supplements. It is, therefore, recommended to ask for supplement intake in future dietary surveys within Germany.