Contribution of fortification and supplement use to interindividual variation in nutrient intakes of women

Nutrient intake data obtained from 3-day diet records were used to compare means and coefficients of variation (CV's) between 46 women classified as high users of fortified foods and 68 women designated as low fortifiers. Greater use of fortified foods was not associated with larger CV's for total nutrient intake, but the CV's associated specifically with the portion of a nutrient added to the diet through fortification were significantly greater. This contrasts with substantial increases in both mean values and CV's when vitamin and mineral supplement use was included in estimates of total nutrient intake.