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Micronutrients Guidance Review — Successor Findings

Successor docket: #113
Predecessor docket: #109 — completed and preserved
Posture: quality-improvement recommendation guidance, not a complaint or allegation

This page adds eight public-safe findings to the previously completed external health-guidance review. It does not rewrite the predecessor record and contains no participant identity, member/account information, prescription details, or private health history.

Publication does not establish individualized medical advice, diagnosis, proof of harm, regulatory noncompliance, certification, payer authority, or complaint disposition.

Findings​

Sodium minimum wording — unsupported generalization​

The reviewed guide states that most adults need at least 2,000 mg/day of sodium. The 2019 National Academies DRI establishes an adult sodium AI of 1,500 mg/day and a CDRR to reduce intake if above 2,300 mg/day; it does not establish 2,000 mg/day as a general minimum for most adults.

Recommendation: remove the generalized 2,000 mg minimum unless a separate population-specific source supports it.

Calcium age/sex grouping — confirmed discrepancy​

Current NIH ODS guidance distinguishes adults 19–50 at 1,000 mg/day, men 51–70 at 1,000 mg/day, women 51–70 at 1,200 mg/day, and adults 71+ at 1,200 mg/day.

Recommendation: use explicit age/sex rows instead of the malformed combined grouping.

Potassium symbol — confirmed discrepancy​

Potassium uses the chemical symbol K. Po is the symbol for polonium.

Recommendation: use “potassium (K)” and spell out “vitamin K” when differentiation is needed.

Water-soluble vitamin storage — oversimplified​

The reviewed guide states broadly that water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored. NIH ODS notes that the body stores very large amounts of vitamin B12 relative to daily intake, and deficiency symptoms can take years to appear.

Recommendation: qualify the general statement and identify B12 as an important exception.

Vitamin A units — incomplete convention​

NIH ODS expresses vitamin A recommendations in mcg RAE (retinol activity equivalents).

Recommendation: identify vitamin A reference values as mcg RAE.

Folate units — incomplete convention​

NIH ODS expresses adult folate recommendations as mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents).

Recommendation: use mcg DFE and distinguish folic acid from naturally occurring food folate when relevant.

Niacin units — incomplete convention​

NIH ODS expresses adult niacin recommendations in mg NE (niacin equivalents).

Recommendation: use mg NE.

Vitamin D units — values current; unit context can improve​

The reviewed 600 IU and 800 IU values align with NIH ODS adult guidance, which presents them as 15 mcg (600 IU) for ages 19–70 and 20 mcg (800 IU) for ages 71+.

Recommendation: present both mcg and IU.

Continuity with predecessor #109​

The predecessor publication already records the vitamin B6 adult-value discrepancy and potassium-reference-value issue. They are not duplicated here as new findings.

Authoritative references​

  • National Academies — Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Calcium
  • PubChem / IUPAC-backed element records — Potassium and Polonium
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin B12
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin A
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Folate
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Niacin
  • NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin D

H2H boundary​

This public research successor does not approve the H2H participant curriculum. StegHealth issue #29 remains separately gated.

Authority boundary​

This is bounded public research and source-quality guidance only. It does not provide individualized medical advice or create clinical, payer, regulatory, certification, proof-of-harm, or complaint authority.