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New dietary reference intakes in the Netherlands for energy, proteins, fats and digestible carbohydrates

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 191–194 (2004)Cite this article

The Health Council of the Netherlands published new Dutch dietary reference intakes (DRIs) for energy, proteins, fats and digestible carbohydrates (Table 1; Health Council of the Netherlands, 2001). The previous Dutch values were primarily aimed at the prevention of deficiency symptoms, whereas the current Dutch values aim at the prevention of both deficiency and chronic diseases. Values were specified for infants, young children, adolescents, adults, elderly people and for pregnant and lactating women. The age groups are similar to those used in the United States (Institute of Medicine, 2002). The report provides a comparison of the new Dutch dietary reference intakes with previous Dutch values and with the values used in Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain and the European Community. At that time, the new American DRIs for energy and macronutrients were not yet available. Therefore, we now present a comparison with the new American values (Institute of Medicine, 2002). The full report can be read and downloaded from internet site www.gr.nl.

Table 1 Dietary reference intakes for the age group 31–50 yearsa
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The term ‘dietary reference intakes’ is a collective term for the ‘estimated average requirement’, ‘recommended dietary allowance’, ‘adequate intake’ and ‘tolerable upper intake level’. Both the recommended dietary allowance and the adequate intake reflect the intake level at which no signs of deficiency are observed, and at which the risk of chronic diseases, as far as influenced by the nutrient, is kept as small as possible. Given a requirement with a normal distribution, the estimated average requirement is the level of intake that is adequate for half of the population. The tolerable upper intake level is the level of intake above which there is a chance that adverse effects will occur. The definitions of the DRIs are similar to those in the new American reports on dietary reference intakes. In the American report on energy and macronutrients, apart from these DRIs, acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges have been estimated.

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References

  • Health Council of the Netherlands (2001): Dietary Reference Intakes: Energy, Proteins, Fats and Digestible Carbohydrates. Publication no. 2001/19E. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands.

  • Institute of Medicine (2002): Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Fatty acids, Cholesterol, Protein and Amino acids. Washington: National Academy Press.

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Acknowledgements

The Health Council of the Netherlands acknowledges all members of the Committee on Dietary Reference Intakes and of the Working Group which prepared the dietary reference intakes for energy and the macronutrients: Professor Dr HKA Visser, Chairman of the Committee; Dr H van den Berg; Professor Dr PA van den Brandt; BC Breedveld; Professor Dr RJ Heine; Professor Dr RP Mensink; Professor Dr WHM Saris, Chairman of the Working Group; Professor Dr HP Sauerwein; Professor Dr G Schaafsma; Professor Dr JC Seidell; Professor Dr WA van Staveren; Dr P van't Veer; Professor Dr CE West; Dr JA Weststrate; Dr PL Zock.

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  1. Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, The Netherlands

    C J K Spaaij & L T J Pijls

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  1. C J K Spaaij
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  2. L T J Pijls
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Contributors: CJKS and LTJP.

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Correspondence to C J K Spaaij.

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Spaaij, C., Pijls, L. New dietary reference intakes in the Netherlands for energy, proteins, fats and digestible carbohydrates. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 191–194 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601788

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