Foreword

Good nutrition encompasses a diversified, balanced and healthy diet which helps in preventing malnutrition as well as a range of noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. In recent times, because of increased availability of variety of foods, food consumption patterns have changed. This has resulted in imbalanced diets and nutritional deficiencies leading to obesity. Micronutrients along with phytochemicals have attained a greater significance in public health policies since extensive nutrition research has brought more understanding of their biological functions in maintaining good health and newer roles beyond deficiency disorders.

Micronutrient malnutrition is widely prevalent around the world with low- and middle-income countries bearing the disproportionate burden. To overcome this challenge, healthy-nutrition practices need to be inculcated in the lifestyle through the authentic research/evidence-based information about the role of micronutrients in health and their daily requirements.

There are several books on nutrition in which micronutrients form a small part. This book is specifically focused on micronutrients. The book covers all aspects from Basics to mechanisms to health implications and diseases associated with deficiencies as well as the sources of both traditional and non-traditional foods that provide micronutrients. The differences between supplementation, fortification and food-based approaches are described to facilitate the reader to understand these terms as well as their indications and implications better. There is a chapter elucidating non vitamin and non-mineral bioactive substances in foods and their health benefits.

This is a comprehensive source of information that could be a resource material for nutritionists as well as non-nutritionists who wish to understand and confirm what they see and hear in the real world about micronutrients.

My compliments to the author for her effort and intent.