OBJECTIVE Iron deficiency is estimated to affect about 30% of the world population. Iron supplementation in the form of tablets and food fortification has not been successful in developing countries, and iron deficiency is still the most important deficiency related to malnutrition. Here we present experiments that aim to increase the iron content in rice endosperm and to improve its absorption...

Anemia of pregnancy, an important risk factor for fetal and maternal morbidity, is considered a global health problem, affecting almost 50% of pregnant women. In this article, diagnosis and management of iron, cobalamin, and folate deficiencies, the most frequent causes of anemia in pregnancy, are discussed. Three clinical cases are considered. Iron deficiency is the most common cause. Laborato...

BACKGROUND Fortification of milk formulas with iron is a strategy widely used, but the absorption of non-heme iron is low. The purpose of this study was to measure the bioavailability of two iron fortified milk formulas designed to cover toddlers´ nutritional needs. These milks were fortified with iron sulfate stabilized with maltodextrin and citric acid. METHODS 15 women (33-47 years old) pa...

WHO recommendations on iron supplementation for infants and young children in malaria-endemic areas changed dramatically from universal to targeted supplementation for iron-deficient children only, after a trial in a high malaria transmission area showed an increased risk of hospital admission and mortality among iron-replete children following iron and folic acid supplementation. Since this ti...

Strategies such as dietary diversification and food fortification have yielded significant results in controlling iron deficiency anaemia in developed countries. Reducing the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries is still a matter of importance. The major factors responsible for iron deficiency anaemia in the vulnerable segments of developing countries are reduced intake...

  Background: Several studies have examined the effects of folic acid fortification on the occurrence of orofacial clefts. This study was carried out to evaluate the impact of flour fortification with folic acid on oral clefts in Northern Iran.   Methods : In this hospital based study from March 2006 to September 2009, we screened the total number of live births at all hospitals in Golestan pro...

Nixtamalization is the process of steeping dried corn in hot water with calcium hydroxide (lime). The resulting product, called nixtamal, is further processed into tortillas, a staple in the Mexican diet. Corn tortillas are prepared directly from nixtamal, from nixtamalized corn flour, or from a mixture of the two. A technology for adding micronutrients to fresh nixtamal tortillas is discussed....

Due to low Fe bioavailability and low consumption per meal, lentil must be fortified to contribute significant bioavailable Fe in the Bangladeshi diet. Moreover, since red lentil is dehulled prior to consumption, an opportunity exists at this point to fortify lentil with Fe. Thus, in the present study, lentil was Fe-fortified (using a fortificant Fe concentration of 2800 µg g-1) and used in 30 ...

This paper examines the opportunities for nutritional investments in nine low-income Asian countries, where current levels of malnutrition are high and declining only slowly. Income growth alone is not sufficient to reduce malnutrition. The economic costs of malnutrition in the region are high, accounting for as many as 2.8 million child deaths and 65,000 maternal deaths annually. Productivity ...

Iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) form the major micronutrient deficiencies of public health significance in India; several surveys have indicated that no state in the country is free from IDD and nearly two-thirds of children, women of reproductive age, and adolescent girls across the country are estimated to be suffering from IDA . The control of micronutrient...