Nutriential Hazards: Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals

To achieve an appropriate and healthy dietary regime, it is necessary to have a balance diet with an adequate contribution of every nutrient. Micronutrients play a fundamental role for normal metabolic functioning of human body, so their deficiencies produce specific clinical manifestations as well as a wide range of non-specific physiological impairments. Under certain situations or physiological conditions (such as stress, smoking, pollution, drugs and alcohol consumption, pregnancy, lactation, etc.), nutrient requirements are even higher, being impossible to fulfill them with standard diets. In fact, over two-third of the world's population lack of one or more essential mineral elements in their diets. Micronutrient malnutrition therefore represents a great burden for the public health system, with potential huge implications in both industrialized and developing countries. This problem can be overcome by dietary diversification, suitable supplementation, food fortification, or by increasing the concentration and/or bioavailability of mineral elements in place (biofortification). In the case of fortified foods, it is essential to characterize and assess the risk of overconsumption, which must be regulated by food safety authorities. The reference values of nutrient intake, therefore, should not be only focused on the prevention of risks associated with nutrient deficiencies or toxicity, but also on the prevention of chronic and degenerative diseases, with the ultimate aim of health promotion. This chapter intends to provide an overall picture of food micronutrients (macro and microminerals, hydrosoluble and liposoluble vitamins), including the possible risks associated with their deficiencies and toxicity. Highlights on infant food and fortified food are also provided.