Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Micronutrients: dietary intake v. supplement use.

Jayne V Woodside1, Damian McCall, Claire McGartland

  • 1Nutrition and Metabolism Group, Centre for Clinical and Population Science, Mulhouse Building, Belfast, UK. j.woodside@qub.ac.uk

The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|November 30, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Suboptimal micronutrient intake is linked to chronic diseases. While observational studies suggest benefits, clinical trials of single micronutrient supplements have largely failed to show reduced disease risk.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Identification of blood biomarkers of a healthy dietary pattern as facilitated by cluster analysis in patients from the MEDDINI study: a pilot randomised trial.

Journal of nutritional science·2026
Same author

The effectiveness of education-based interventions on iodine knowledge, attitude, behaviour, and status: a systematic review protocol.

Systematic reviews·2026
Same author

When Measuring Potassium, Matrix Matters.

The journal of applied laboratory medicine·2026
Same author

Outside the Laboratory-A New Section in JALM.

The journal of applied laboratory medicine·2026
Same author

Sherlock Holmes Meets Dr. Watson.

The journal of applied laboratory medicine·2026
Same author

A Scoping Review to Identify Interventions That Support Healthier Food Choices for Pupils in Specialist Schools.

Nutrients·2026

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Preventive Medicine
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Suboptimal micronutrient intake, though not clinical deficiency, is associated with increased chronic disease risk (cardiovascular disease, cancer).
  • Strategies to improve micronutrient status include dietary changes, food fortification, and supplements.
  • Observational studies link high intake of vitamins E, C, folic acid, and beta-carotene to lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical trial evidence on the health benefits of micronutrient supplements.
  • To explore alternative approaches for studying dietary micronutrient intake and its impact on health.
  • To explain the discrepancy between observational data and clinical trial outcomes regarding micronutrients and disease risk.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Review of randomized intervention trials investigating micronutrient supplements.
  • Analysis of observational cohort studies correlating micronutrient intake with disease risk.
  • Consideration of studies focusing on whole foods and dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean diet).

Main Results:

  • Randomized intervention trials of single micronutrient supplements have largely failed to demonstrate improvements in clinical endpoints.
  • A significant discordance exists between findings from observational studies and clinical trials.
  • The complex synergy of micronutrients in whole foods or dietary patterns may be more effective than isolated supplements.

Conclusions:

  • Intervention studies using single micronutrient supplements may not effectively lower disease risk.
  • The combined effect of micronutrients in a diet rich in fruits and vegetables might be more beneficial.
  • Future research should consider whole foods and dietary patterns for a more accurate assessment of micronutrient impact on clinical outcomes.