Handbook of Nutrition

Prevention and Therapy
Through balanced Nutrition
The selective use of micronutrients is a simple and practical method of nutritional therapy with proven effectiveness. This new handbook gives both professionals and interested consumers a thorough understanding of the prevention and treatment of illness through balanced nutrition.
A practical color key guides you through this handbook:

The basic principles of micronutrition
Micronutrient therapy concerns the treatment of illnesses with substances that are normally present in the human body, such as vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. In this introductory section, you learn how to use this knowledge for enhanced health and well being. What is healthy nutrition? This section introduces the basic building blocks of the balanced diet, and includes a brief introduction to vegetarian nutrition.

The micronutrients
In this section, all micronutrients are presented, along with a discussion of their functions in the body and their therapeutic benefits. The effects of deficiencies, and their manifestations, are described in detail.

Micronutrition through the life cycle
Micronutrient needs do not remain constant throughout life. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, for example, requirements are higher for many micronutrients. The nutritional needs of children differ greatly from those of the aged. The effect of nutrition and lifestyle on longevity is also discussed in this chapter.

Micronutrients in prevention and therapy
This important section provides detailed information on the use of micronutrients in the longterm prevention and therapy of specific conditions and diseases.

Appendix
Here you will find a variety of additional information on drug-micronutrient interactions, nutrient-nutrient interactions, and laboratory assessment of micronutrient status.

Michael Zimmermann, MD, is Director of Postgraduate Studies at the Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland.