Micronutrient dietary supplements - A new fourth approach

Currently the three main widely used strategies to control micronutrient de ficiencies are food diversification, fortification, and consumption of medi cinal supplements. In Tanzania a fourth strategy has been evaluated in scho ol children, and is to be studied in pregnant and lactating women, The diet ary supplement comes in the form of a powder used to prepare a fruit flavor ed drink. Children consumed for six months 25 grams per school day attended , the powder being added to 200 ml of water. The dietary supplement provide s between 40 and 100 percent of the RDA of 10 micronutrients, which include s iron, vitamin A and iodine. Unlike medicinal supplements it provides the multiple vitamins and minerals in physiologic, not megadoses. In a well con ducted randomized double blind placebo controlled trial, a dietary suppleme nt in the form of a fortified powder fruit drink produced statistically sig nificant differences not only in vitamin A and iron status, but also in the growth of young school age children.