[Review] A review of the quality of evidence of nutrient reference values

Nutrient reference values (NRVs) serve as key benchmarks for assessing nutrient adequacy and informing dietary guidelines. However, their accuracy depends on the quality of the underlying evidence. In this Review, we evaluate the evidence base used by the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to establish NRVs for 21 micronutrients across all life stages. We assessed methodological approaches, sample sizes, publication timelines, and study durations and developed a classification of the quality of evidence based on these factors.