Explore the rich history and role of refined grain enrichment and fortification in improving public health.
fortification
Do Refined Grains Have a Place in a Healthy Dietary Pattern? Perspectives from an Expert Panel Consensus Meeting (October 2020)
Emerging research suggests that certain refined grains can be part of a healthy diet. A scientific expert panel reviewed studies since the 2015 Dietary Guidelines, focusing on nutrient intake, diet quality, grain enrichment/fortification, and links to weight outcomes.
Nutrients in the US Diet: Naturally Occurring or Enriched/Fortified Food and Beverage Sources, Plus Dietary Supplements: NHANES 2009–2012 (August 2019)
Nutrient intake in the U.S. diet comes from naturally occurring sources, fortification/enrichment, and dietary supplements (DSs). This study analyzed data from NHANES 2009–2012 to assess how these sources contribute to meeting Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for 15 micronutrients across various population groups.
Low carbohydrate diets may increase risk of neural tube defects (January 2018)
Folic acid fortification has significantly reduced neural tube defects (NTDs) in the U.S., but the rise of low-carbohydrate diets raises concerns about adequate folic acid intake among women avoiding fortified foods.
Anaemia prevalence may be reduced among countries that fortify flour (July 2015)
This study evaluated national-level data to determine whether fortifying wheat and maize flour with nutrients like iron, folic acid, vitamin A, or vitamin B12 reduced anaemia prevalence among non-pregnant women. Data were sourced from Demographic and Health Survey reports, the WHO Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System database, and other national nutrition surveys from countries with at least two anaemia assessments.
