A PERSPECTIVE ON MINERAL STANDARDS

History has shown that the consumption of a balanced diet in adequate amounts is consistent with survival of mankind. This fact demonstrates that for each essential nutrient there is not one, but a range of saf e and adequate intakes. In the past, the determination of the two endp oints of that range, one bordering on deficiency, the other on toxicit y, has been sought independently by nutritionists and toxicologists, R efinement of the criteria of adequacy and safety during the past few d ecades has tended to raise estimates of requirements and to reduce tho se of toxicity, narrowing and in some cases, eliminating the range of safe and adequate intakes. The Herndon Conference in 1992 suggested so me common principles, potentially useful to establish both endpoints o f the ranges of safe and adequate intakes for essential trace elements , Some perspectives of implementing these are discussed.