Iron is an essential trace metal in human metabolism. However, imbalances in iron homeostasis are prevalent worldwide and have detrimental effects on human health. Humans do not have the ability to remove excess iron and therefore iron homeostasis is ...

Diet-derived luminal factors have a major influence on zinc available for uptake across the apical membrane of enterocytes. Malabsorption and possibly intestinal microbiota limit this zinc availability. The transporter ZIP4 is expressed along the entire ...

Estimated average requirements for micronutrients are central to deriving Dietary Reference Values. These are used for nutrition policies and programs, and also for regulatory and labeling purposes, and are traditionally devised to cover the needs of ...

Several bioavailability algorithms have been proposed for iron and zinc, confirming the need for these tools while emphasizing the challenge of deriving algorithms with accepted accuracy. This manuscript briefly reviews current evidence on the accuracy of ...

Increasing obesity is a major global health concern while at the same time iron-deficiency anemia remains common worldwide. Although these two conditions represent opposite ends of the spectrum of over- and under-nutrition, they appear to be linked: ...

Individuals at highest risk of zinc deficiency (children, elderly, pregnant and lactating women, morbidly ill, alcoholics) have a higher risk of infection. Whereas the essential role of zinc in maintaining adaptive immunity is well recognized, much less ...

Febrile malaria and asymptomatic malaria parasitemia substantially decrease iron absorption in single-meal, stable isotope studies in women and children, but to date there is no evidence of decreased efficacy of iron-fortified foods in malaria-endemic ...

Studies on human subjects have shown that calcium (Ca) can inhibit iron (Fe) absorption, regardless of whether it is given as Ca salts or in dairy products. This has caused concern as increased Ca intake commonly is recommended for children and women, the ...

Unlike iron, zinc absorption is influenced by dietary zinc intake, not zinc status. As dietary zinc increases, the total amount of absorbed zinc increases while the percent absorbed declines. The gastrointestinal tract maintains whole-body zinc ...

The Caco-2 cell model is widely used to assess the bioaccessibility/availability of iron from foods and diets. Analysis of iron uptake in this human epithelial cell line is usually preceded by a two-step digestion to simulate the conditions in the stomach ...

This review outlines the nature of inter-individual variation in trace element bioavailability, focusing on genetic and epigenetic determinants. We note that pathogenic mutations responsible for dangerously high (or low) status for the micronutrient are ...

Folate and choline are water-soluble micronutrients that serve as methyl donors in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Inadequacy of these nutrients can disturb one-carbon metabolism as evidenced by alterations in circulating folate and/or ...

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in people of all ages who consume a low intake of animal-source foods, including populations in developing countries. It is also prevalent among the elderly, even in wealthier countries, due to their malabsorption of B12 ...

Micronutrient malnutrition, or “hidden hunger,” afflicts a large part of the world’s population, with vitamin A deficiency among the most prevalent public health problems. Provitamin A carotenoids in plant foods are a source of vitamin A for humans; ...