Getting a Grip on Complexity: Systems Nutrition

Abstract

Introduction Over the past century, our understanding of the role of nutrition, including that of micronutrients, in relation to health has made tremendous progress. This was primarily achieved by a combination of epidemiological studies assessing micronutrient intakes and experiments in vitro and in vivo focusing on single targets or pathways affected by single micronutrients. As a result, significant progress has been made in meeting the need of numerous populations for vitamin A, zinc, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids,1 resulting in sufficiency in intake and status for these micronutrients and associated improvements in health status in large parts of the world. Despite this progress, however, there is still a great need for further improvements in global health. More adequate nutrition could be a major contributor here. In order to achieve this, we must gain insights into the functional relationships between micronutrients and the complexity of biological processes that need to function optimally and in coherence so as to support the maintenance of health in the context of a specific environment (Figure 1). In the first instance, this needs to be done for physiological processes, but it also touches upon mental and socio-economic aspects. Nutrition research should thus evolve into a systems view towards measurements of the micronutrient status and health of people, as well as a systems modeling approach to interventions, taking the cultural and social context into consideration.