Micronutrient supplementation and its relationship to nutritional status, health and diseases

Micronutrient deficiency is still a major problem in many developing countries and multiple micronutrient deficiencies often occur concomitantly. Micronutrient supplementation may be the preferred option because it is cost‐effective. Supplementation with iodized peanut oil was more efficacious and gave a longer protection period in preventing iodine deficiency than did iodized poppy seed oil. Inclusion of vitamin A in the iron supplement improved the vitamin A status of pregnant women and their infants. Daily or weekly multimicronutrient supplementation improved growth of stunted young children, whereas weekly multimicronutrient or iron−folic acid supplementation improved the productivity of female workers. In addition, vitamin A and zinc supplementation improved the impact of tuberculosis medication, particularly during the first 2 months. In conclusion, multimicronutrient supplementation has beneficial effects on the improvement of nutritional status, work productivity, health and diseases. The challenge is how to translate the efficacy of supplementation strategies into a large‐scale setting.