All topics
Needs and individual variation
Age, diet, baseline status, medicines and health conditions can affect needs and risk. Dietary reference values describe specified populations and are not individual treatment doses.
In-depth articles
All articles →A map of related concepts; see the entries and sources for detail.
Reference entries
More is not always better
Deficient, adequate and excessive intake are different states. Benefits from correcting deficiency do not automatically extend to extra doses in well-nourished people.
Same formula, different responses
Diet, age, baseline status, medicines and microbiome context can change responses. Average benefit is not universal benefit or proof of a validated personalization algorithm.
Add all exposure sources
Foods, fortified foods and multiple supplements can overlap. %DV compares labels; RDA/AI guide intake; UL is a risk boundary, not a target.
Concrete excess and testing risks
Excess B6 can harm peripheral nerves; excessive vitamin D can cause hypercalcaemia; high-dose biotin can interfere with some lab tests. Water-soluble, natural or common does not mean risk-free.
Medicine interactions
Examples include vitamin K with warfarin, minerals with some medicines and CoQ10 with warfarin or insulin. A clinician or pharmacist should assess the complete list.
Do not assume special populations are included
Pregnancy, lactation, children, liver or kidney disease and severe immunocompromise cannot automatically inherit healthy-adult evidence or microbial-product suitability.
Persistent symptoms need explanationProject inference
Persistent fatigue, sleep or digestive symptoms may extend beyond supplementation. This atlas does not diagnose or give individualized doses.
Reference values are not prescriptions
Population dietary references are established for groups defined by age and other factors. Individual health conditions, medicines and diet may require professional assessment.