That some vitamins and [beta]-carotene may play an important role in the prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, cataract formation and neural tube defect is an exciting development in nutrition research.This publication provides an excellent summary of the evidence that has recently been established and discusses the implications of this evidence for human health. Following a review of the classical functions of vitamins, leading experts in the field present the most up-to-date findings on their additional physiological functions. Readers will appreciate the thorough coverage given to antioxidant nutrients. In addition, new data on vitamin intake in Europe are presented and are compared with the estimated vitamin requirements for the prevention of chronic disease. A special feature of the publication is the authoritative discussion of whether Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) could be adapted to include concepts of chronic disease prevention. Read Less