Chemical Compostion of Mineral Fortification and Supplementationuses of Mineral Isotope Tracers: Nutritional Studies

Abstract

Health authorities in all countries are concerned about the nutrition of their population. In the industrialized world, major concerns are related to what has been called "over nutrition". With higher affluence and urbanization, diets tend to become higher in energy and fat, especially saturated fat. They also have less fibre and complex carbohydrates, and more alcohol. These and other risk factors are leading to increased incidence of obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, anaemia and some cancers, with immense social and health care costs. For developing countries, the problems chiefly lie on the other end of the spectrum. "Under nutrition", or malnutrition, is the principle enemy, mainly of poor people who experience the most widespread and severe effects of malnutrition.