Micronutrient deficiencies, vitamin pills and nutritional supplements

Combet, E. and Buckton, C. (2014) Micronutrient deficiencies, vitamin pills and nutritional supplements. Medicine, 14(2), pp. 66-72. (doi: 10.1016/j.mpmed.2014.11.002)

Abstract

In the 21st century, it is hard to reconcile the concepts of the Western diet and overconsumption with the risk of micronutrient deficiencies. However, deficiencies can arise from poor dietary intake, alone or combined with physiological or metabolic injury. Micronutrients are essential to fulfil a broad range of biochemical and physiological functions, and are tightly regulated by homeostatic processes. Diagnosis of deficiency is complex and requires the use of separate investigations (dietary, functional, biochemical). While the role of micronutrients in the prevention or treatment of diseases (including cancer, type 2 diabetes) is of interest, a key driver for the vitamins and supplement market is their advertised potential to optimize health and performance in healthy individuals. The evidence so far indicates that multivitamins supplements offer no health protection, increase all-cause mortality, and risk of cancers in some subgroups. A nutritionally balanced diet is a safer way to achieve sufficiency.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in M. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Medicine (2015) DOI:10.1016/j.mpmed.2014.11.002
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Buckton, Christina and Combet Aspray, Professor Emilie
• Authors: Combet, E., and Buckton, C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
• Journal Name: Medicine
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1357-3039
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in Medicine 2014 14(2):66-72
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher