Determine Fat Soluble Vitamin Needs of school children and adolescents?
ICMR (1990) does not give recommendations for vitamin D, E and K. Vitamin D is very important for skeletal growth and optional utilization or calcium and phosphorus. School children and adolescents, who spend plenty of time in outdoor games in school or home, get vitamin D by bioconversions. Only those children or adolescents who do not move outdoor, have inadequate housing, purdah system etc. should be supplemented with 400 IU. Vitamin K deficiency is rare in this age group and vitamin E intake is related to PUFA intake @ 0.8 mg/g of essential fatty acids. Most PUFA oils are source of vitamin E. Particularly good sources are palm oils and rice bran oil.