Explain the Depletion and Repletion Studies for studying nutrient requirement?
This is an experimental procedure in which volunteer subjects are kept on a diet devoid of a particular nutrient, until such a time when they develop overt clinical signs of deficiency of the nutrient. The lowest level of the nutrient that reverses the clinical symptoms in all volunteer subjects is the minimum requirement for that nutrient. The minimum requirement for some B vitamins and ascorbic acid has been determined through this method.