Scanning the Evidence: Process and lessons learned from an evidence scan of riboflavin to inform decisions on updating the riboflavin dietary reference intake

Authors: FIELD, MARTHA - Cornell University; BAILEY, REGAN - Texas A&M University; BRANNON, PATSY - Cornell University; GREGORY III, JESSE - University Of Florida; LICHENSTEIN, ALICE - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; SALDANHA, IAN - Brown University; SCHNEEMAN, BARBARA - University Of California

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/2022
Publication Date: 6/22/2022
Citation: Field, M., Bailey, R.L., Brannon, P.M., Gregory Iii, J.F., Lichenstein, A.H., Saldanha, I.J., Schneeman, B.O. 2022. Scanning the Evidence: Process and lessons learned from an evidence scan of riboflavin to inform decisions on updating the riboflavin dietary reference intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/ nqac102.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac102

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values are a broad group of reference values that serve as the foundation for monitoring nutritional status of individuals and populations, developing dietary guidelines, and establishing standards for federally funded nutrition programs for what is termed generally healthy individuals in the United States and Canada. The majority of DRI values have not been reevaluated since the early 2000's. The few that have been reevaluated depended on systematic reviews commissioned for that purpose. Due to time and cost of conducting systematic reviews this approach is not be feasible for all essential nutrients. To address this conundrum the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a panel to model an evidence scanning process for use to determine whether there are adequate new data to support updating a DRI value prior to commissioning a full systematic review. The model essential nutrient was riboflavin. The committee developed an analytical framework and eligibility criteria to inform the literature search strategy, and then reviewed the available data. Limitations identified that would impede a decision to commission a full systematic review included inability to isolate the independent effect of riboflavin on the outcomes of interest due to concomitate fortification and supplement use with multiple B vitamins, lack of a reliable biomarker for determining nutrient adequacy and genetic variability, and inconsistencies in reporting toxicity and/or adverse effects. The conclusions were that the evidence scan process successfully assessed the state of the science for updating the DRIs so that Federal agencies can prioritize resources for these updates, and can inform researchers and sponsors of research gaps that need to be addressed before adequate data are available to reexamine the DRI values.