Keynote lecture, lan Macdonald

Micronutrient deficiencies affect most countries worldwide and substantially contribute to poor nutrition. Dietary recommendations are therefore important to help prevent diseases in all age groups and support optimal growth and development of children and adolescents. However, existing guidelines are limited and focus mostly on undernutrition with less attention on the growing problem of over nutrition. Likewise, much attention is given to the lack of individual nutrients with the assumption that all others are consumed in adequate amounts. Variations in nutritional requirements linked to different physiological states need further attention in the future.  For example, focusing attention on adequate nutrition during pregnancy is beneficial for both mother and baby, reducing the risk for the baby of chronic disease in adulthood as well as reducing the depletion of the mother’s nutrient stores/reserves during pregnancy and lactation.