From vitamin status to omega-3 levels to supplement use, an upcoming CDC report turns decades of NHANES blood and urine data into a national snapshot of America’s nutritional health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2026 Nutrition Report presents data for 131 biomarkers from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-August 2023). Image credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock
Short communications published in magazines Current developments in nutrition provides an overview of the 2026 National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition in the U.S. Population, scheduled to be released in June 2026 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such easily accessible data on population health and nutrition can help identify problems, assign priorities, frame programs, and monitor the effectiveness of interventions.
NHANES survey
This report summarizes nutritional biomarker data collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) over nearly 24 years, from 1999 to August 2023.
The NHANES survey is uniquely comprehensive among nutrition surveys. We collect nutritional data on food, beverage, and supplement intake for the U.S. population and combine it with a wide range of data from other participants. This information is obtained through health interviews, questionnaires, physical examinations, and biological samples (blood and urine) at the Mobile Examination Center (MEC).
2026 Report Scope
This report presents nationally representative blood and urine measurements of up to 131 nutritional biomarkers in the U.S. population 1 year of age and older. Previous CDC nutrition reports included 27 biomarkers from 1999 to 2002 and 58 biomarkers from 2003 to 2006. In comparison, 50 biomarkers were available for the August 2021 to August 2023 research cycle alone.
Biomarkers cover a wide range of nutritional and dietary indicators, including water- and fat-soluble vitamins and related compounds, trace elements, and bioactive compounds.
Newly reported biomarkers
This report highlights several newly reported biomarkers, including vitamin B12 status (cB-12, a composite indicator consisting of vitamin B-12, methylmalonic acid, and total homocysteine). Heart health (omega-3 index obtained by summing eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid as a percentage of total fatty acids in red blood cells). Trace elements copper and zinc in the blood. Contains 4 trans fatty acids individually and in total. Six types of serum folate forms; six red blood cell folates are formed separately and in total. 15 types of caffeine and caffeine metabolites. 21 types of RBC fatty acids.
Overview trends
The report itself includes more than 2,700 tables and 500 figures summarizing the long-term distribution and demographic patterns of nutritional biomarkers across the U.S. population. A key feature of the 2026 report is that it presents trends over approximately 24 years of data.
This visually summarizes three types of statistics: Percentile concentration trends over time per cycle. Reference interval estimation based on percentile values at either end of the spectrum. and concentration stratified by age, gender, race, and Hispanic origin.
For the first time, this report also presents concentrations separately for supplement users and non-users, recognizing the importance of supplement use in determining nutritional status.
Uniqueness of NHANES data
This paper highlights that NHANES is one of the most durable and comprehensive national nutrition surveillance systems in the world. The authors note that relatively few countries conduct national nutrition surveys as part of their health assessments.
When biochemical tests are incorporated into such investigations, the focus is primarily on disease markers such as glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and lipid levels. In contrast, the NHANES study includes multiple biochemical measurements of nutrition-related biomarkers.
The design and scope of NHANES makes it a source of what the authors call “gold standard scientific data,” making it particularly valuable for guideline development and validation of data science research. In addition to a wide range of nutritional biomarkers, we associate them with sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, medical history, and physical examination data, allowing for the identification of multiple associations.
Report usefulness
This report compiles approximately 24 years of NHANES data into an easy-to-use format, allowing you to see your nutritional status at a glance. It provides information that is descriptive and can be processed in multiple ways without the need for further analysis or adjustment.
The authors say the report aims to provide accessible reference information for policy makers, clinicians and researchers. Standardized tables and figures allow for comparisons of biomarkers across demographic groups, biomarkers, and time periods.
This will help identify where new interventions are needed and track the effectiveness of ongoing programs and policies. This report will help clinicians develop or interpret national reference ranges for these biomarkers, recognizing that this report provides descriptive, unadjusted population data. This helps scientists investigate the links between nutritional status and health, lifestyle, and behavior.
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Reference magazines:
- Pfeiffer, C. M., Sternberg, M. R., Powers, C. D., et al. (2026). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2026 Nutrition Report presents data for 131 biomarkers from the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-August 2023). Current developments in nutrition. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2026.107688.
