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Submitted to: Advances in Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2014 Publication Date: 5/6/2014 Citation: Allen, L.H. 2014. Micronutrient research, programs and policy: from meta-analyses to metabolomics. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. 5(3):344S-351S. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.005421. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/an.113.005421 Interpretive Summary: Micronutrient deficencies are widespread among women and children in undernourshed populations. Research has identified effctive approaches to their prevention, including supplementation, fortification, and dietary and other public health interventions. These interventions have made tremendous improvements in the quality of life, health and survival of populations around the world, yet impact varies by nutrient, populations, and the outcomes chosenthat reflect nutritionally-driven change. The World Health Organization guides governments and agencies towards effective strategies to prevent micronutrient deficiencies in women and children, but these are often informed by imperfect studies with limited measures of impact, and the inadequate program evaluations and survey databases produced by the nutrition community. The resulting knowledge gaps limit our ability to discern what interventions are effective or not, under what conditions, among whom, and perhaps most importantly, why. However, we are moving into an ear of opportunities to apply the tools of modern nutritionscience, including improved methods of assessing nutrtional status, "omics", bioarchival access, systems biology thinking, and interdisciplinary collaborations that can deepen and broaden our unerstanding of how micronutrients affect health, how their deficiencies diminish human capacity, and how interventions can improve the well-being of those in need. Relevant training and greater cross-disciplinary efforts will be required to ensure a cell to society approach that can systematically address where, to whom, and how to provide micronutrients in the future. Technical Abstract: Micronutrient deficencies are widespread among women and children in undernourshed populations. Research has identified effctive approaches to their prevention, including supplementation, fortification, and dietary and other public health interventions. These interventions have made tremendous improvements in the quality of life, health and survival of populations around the world, yet impact varies by nutrient, populations, and the outcomes chosenthat reflect nutritionally-driven change. The World Health Organization guides governments and agencies towards effective strategies to prevent micronutrient deficiencies in women and children, but these are often informed by imperfect studies with limited measures of impact, and the inadequate program evaluations and survey databases produced by the nutrition community. The resulting knowledge gaps limit our ability to discern what interventions are effective or not, under what conditions, among whom, and perhaps most importantly, why. However, we are moving into an ear of opportunities to apply the tools of modern nutritionscience, including improved methods of assessing nutrtional status, "omics", bioarchival access, systems biology thinking, and interdisciplinary collaborations that can deepen and broaden our unerstanding of how micronutrients affect health, how their deficiencies diminish human capacity, and how interventions can improve the well-being of those in need. Relevant training and greater cross-disciplinary efforts will be required to ensure a cell to society approach that can systematically address where, to whom, and how to provide micronutrients in the future. |
