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Bjørklund G, Semenova Y, Hangan T, Pen JJ, Aaseth J, Peana M. Perspectives on Iron Deficiency as a Cause of Human Disease in Global Public Health. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:1428-1440. [PMID: 38572614 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230324154606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Iron (Fe) is a necessary trace element in numerous pathways of human metabolism. Therefore, Fe deficiency is capable of causing multiple health problems. Apart from the well-known microcytic anemia, lack of Fe can cause severe psychomotor disorders in children, pregnant women, and adults in general. Iron deficiency is a global health issue, mainly caused by dietary deficiency but aggravated by inflammatory conditions. The challenges related to this deficiency need to be addressed on national and international levels. This review aims to summarize briefly the disease burden caused by Fe deficiency in the context of global public health and aspires to offer some hands-on guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geir Bjørklund
- Department of Research, Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine (CONEM), Mo i Rana, Norway
| | - Yuliya Semenova
- Department of Surgery, Nazarbayev University School of Medicine, Astana, Kazakhstan
| | - Tony Hangan
- Faculty of Medicine, Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania
| | - Joeri J Pen
- Department of Nutrition, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
- Diabetes Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jan Aaseth
- Research Department, Innlandet Hospital, Brumunddal, Norway
- Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway
| | - Massimiliano Peana
- Department of Chemical, Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Hills AP, Norris SA, Byrne NM, Jayasinghe S, Murphy-Alford AJ, Loechl CU, Ismail LIC, Kurpad AV, Kuriyan R, Nyati LH, Santos IS, Costa CS, Wickramasinghe VP, Lucas MN, Slater C, Yameen A, Ariff S. Body composition from birth to 2 years. Eur J Clin Nutr 2023:10.1038/s41430-023-01322-7. [PMID: 37563231 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-023-01322-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Providing all infants with the best start to life is a universal but challenging goal for the global community. Historically, the size and shape of infants, quantified by anthropometry and commencing with birthweight, has been the common yardstick for physical growth and development. Anthropometry has long been considered a proxy for nutritional status during infancy when, under ideal circumstances, changes in size and shape are most rapid. Developed from data collected in the Multicentre Growth Reference Study (MGRS), WHO Child Growth Standards for healthy infants and children have been widely accepted and progressively adopted. In contrast, and somewhat surprisingly, much less is understood about the 'quality' of growth as reflected by body composition during infancy. Recent advances in body composition assessment, including the more widespread use of air displacement plethysmography (ADP) across the first months of life, have contributed to a progressive increase in our knowledge and understanding of growth and development. Along with stable isotope approaches, most commonly the deuterium dilution (DD) technique, the criterion measure of total body water (TBW), our ability to quantify lean and fat tissue using a two-compartment model, has been greatly enhanced. However, until now, global reference charts for the body composition of healthy infants have been lacking. This paper details some of the historical challenges associated with the assessment of body composition across the first two years of life, and references the logical next steps in growth assessments, including reference charts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shane A Norris
- University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Leila I Cheikh Ismail
- University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ayesha Yameen
- Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH), Nilore, Pakistan
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Monroy-Gomez J, Ferraboschi C, van Zutphen KG, Gavin-Smith B, Amanquah D, Kraemer K. Small and Medium Enterprises' Perspectives on Food Fortification Amid the Growing Burden of Malnutrition. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14183837. [PMID: 36145210 PMCID: PMC9503820 DOI: 10.3390/nu14183837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The need for a profound food system transformation has never been greater. The growing burden of malnutrition has become the new normal, with two billion people who are overweight, over 140 million children under five who are stunted and over two billion people affected by hidden hunger. Food fortification has been recognized as a cost-effective strategy to address micronutrient deficiencies. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a strategic role in the food supply chain in low- and middle-income countries, accounting for over 80% of food sales. It is therefore critical to create an enabling environment to facilitate SMEs' involvement in food fortification practices as a potential solution to tackle all forms of malnutrition. This review highlights SMEs' relevance as agents of change in the food system through food fortification practices and their indirect yet key role in producing nutritious, tasty and affordable foods. It discusses their challenges (e.g., access to long-term finance, sustainable technical assistance, limited capacity), presents solutions and discusses how different actors can help SMEs to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, it presents a relevant public-private partnership case study to demonstrate how SMEs can address the growing burden of malnutrition through food fortification practices, nutrient profiling schemes and demand generation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen
- Sight and Life, P.O. Box 2116, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Human Nutrition & Health, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Klaus Kraemer
- Sight and Life, P.O. Box 2116, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Correspondence:
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