Журнал питания и пищевых наук
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The Role of fortification and supplementation in mitigating the ‘hidden hunger’

Abeshu MA and Geleta B

Micronutrients are nutrients required by the body in small amounts for normal physiologic functions. Despite the minuscule demand for micronutrients by the body, their deficiency results in a number of health complications. Globally, more than 2 billion people are affected by micronutrient deficiency where developing world takes most of the burdens. To make things worse, micronutrient deficiency often goes unnoticed for a long time in individuals before symptoms become apparent. Large scale interventions through fortification of foods and supplementation of micronutrients to circumvent the devastating consequences of micronutrient deficiencies are showing a great progress by reducing the number of morbidity and mortality attributed to them. At international scale, fortification of salt with iodine, iron and vitamin A supplementation to the most risky and vulnerable groups is considered the most successful micronutrient interventions to date.