Point of view--a role for "nutritional insurance" supplementation in preventive medicine

While macronutrient dietary profile is receiving increasing attention as a determinant of disease risk, the potential of micronutrient supplementation as a public health tool has received little serious attention within orthodox medical circles. In light of the fact that the biochemical effects of many nutrients vary as a function of dose within and beyond "adequate" intake levels, and in light of individual differences in nutrient requirements, it is evident that micronutrient dietary profile--even under the assumption that all nutrient intakes are at least "adequate" or "normal"--plays a major role in determining long-term disease risk. Intelligently planned "nutritional insurance" supplementation could be expected to prevent or delay the onset of many degenerative diseases, while helping to satisfy idiosyncratically high requirements and preventing nutrient deficiency disease.