Traditionally, the main strategies used to control micronutrient deficiencies have been food diversification, consumption of medicinal supplements, and food fortification. In Tanzania, we conducted efficacy trials using a dietary supplement as a fourth approach. These were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trials conducted separately first in children and later in pregnant w...

Vitamin D deficiency has significant implications for human health throughout life and impacts on healthy growth and development and successful ageing. Persistent knowledge gaps are barriers to developing and implementing a safe and effective public health strategy to prevent vitamin D deficiency and maintain nutritional adequacy throughout the year. The European Commission-funded ODIN project ...

Objective: To investigate the impact of fortification by comparing food records and selected biochemical indicators of nutritional status preand post-fortification. Design: Mean intake from 24 h recalls (n 142) was compared with the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) to determine the proportion with inadequate intake. In a subsample (n 34), diet and serum retinol, folate, ferritin and Zn were ...

BACKGROUND A central element in establishing maximum amount of micronutrients in fortified foods and supplements is to reach to an agreement on how to estimate high intakes of vitamins and minerals from the European diet. OBJECTIVE To examine whether ratios between the 95th percentile and mean intakes of vitamins and minerals show similarities across different countries independent of dietary...

The purpose of this review is to put into perspective the many health benefits of vitamin D and the role of vitamin D deficiency in increasing the risk of many common and serious diseases, including some common cancers, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. Numerous epidemiologic studies suggest that exposure to sunlight, which enhances the production of vitamin D(3) in the...

Vitamin D has been the focus of much scientific literature in recent years owing to various studies showing its association with a wide variety of pathological conditions . Sun exposure, diet and fortified supplementation account for a bulk of Vitamin D intake in humans. Activation of vitamin D is sequential and requires sun exposure for conversion of 7dehydrocholesterol to Vitamin D3. Further ...