title: Developing a database of vitamin and mineral supplements (ViMiS) for the Norfolk arm of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC-Norfolk).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Supplements are an important source of micronutrient intake, which, unless taken into account, can misclassify individuals with regard to levels of nutrient exposure. A label-based vitamin and mineral supplements (ViMiS) database was developed to contain manufacturers' information and to enter supplement use by participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition in Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk). The ViMiS database contains information on all ingredients, broken down into nutrient information in order to be combined with nutrient intake derived from food consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Development of the ViMiS database and cross-sectional analysis of supplement use in a population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and women aged 40-79 years from the general population participating in the EPIC-Norfolk study between 1993 and 1997, with data available from 7 d diet diaries (7dDD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A subset of 19 330 participants with available 7dDD and known supplement status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To date, the ViMiS database includes 2066 supplements, which altogether contain 16 586 ingredients, with a median of eleven nutrient/ingredients per supplement. Forty per cent of the cohort took a supplement, of which cod liver oil was the most common (24·5 %).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ViMiS database provides a flexible tool for estimating total nutrient intake. The high prevalence of supplement use in the general population indicates that supplement use needs to be taken into account when examining the relationship of intake of particular nutrients to health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Strangeways Research Laboratory, MRC Centre for Nutritional Epidemiology in Cancer Prevention and Survival, University of Cambridge, Wort's Causeway, Cambridge CB1 8RN, UK. marleen.lentjes@phpc.cam.ac.uk
authors.forename: Marleen A H
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lentjes
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhaniani
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.forename: Kay-Tee
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Khaw
authors.forename: Ailsa A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003060:Cod Liver Oil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005060:Europe; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins; D003060:Cod Liver Oil