“Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Building a Consensus”

In 2011, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a summary of the conference ‘Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Building a Consensus.'” The role of biomarkers in nutrition is discussed, as well as applications for biomarkers in clinical and community assessment for malnutrition. This discussion highlights the challenges in understanding the nutrient status of a person and community and how to ensure it is complete. A summary of the article is as follows:

“…the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, organized a conference entitled “Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development: Building a Consensus,” which was hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Partners included key multilateral, US agencies and public and private organizations. The assembly endorsed the utility of this initiative and the need for the BOND (Biomarkers of Nutrition for Development) project to continue. A consensus was reached on the requirement to develop a process to inform the community about the relative strengths or weaknesses and specific applications of various biomarkers under defined conditions. The articles in this supplement summarize the deliberations of the 4 working groups: research, clinical, policy, and programmatic. Also described are content presentations on the harmonization processes, the evidence base for biomarkers for 5 case-study micronutrients, and new frontiers in science and technology.”

To read the full article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, click here.