Exploring micronutrient supplements in disease conditions: are they effective?

Abstract

Nutrition is essential for the health and well-being of all living beings and is sourced from foods of different origins and types. Most importantly, the food must contain carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and minerals in a balanced form to achieve optimum benefits. Vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients, are characterised by their nature, quantity and role in normal metabolic activities. In humans, micronutrients are exclusively obtained from food or supplements. In addition, vitamin D3 is synthesized de novo with the aid of sunlight, while vitamins B and K are synthesized in the gut by the resident bacteria. Micronutrients play an important role in health and disease states and have become the most widely used dietary supplements in the world. However, how effective they are against diseases is controversial as conflicting reports continue to emerge, especially where insufficient data is available. This review highlights the important role of micronutrient supplements in the alleviation of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Data were retrieved from the literature in databases including African Journal Online, Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science, among others, with hits on nutrients, vitamins and mineral supplements: Only literature with relevant information from 1993-2023 (30 years) was considered. As important as these micronutrients are for health and their supplementations are generally beneficial, it is worthy of note that their role in the disease treatment is still limited by insufficient data.