English K, Uwibambe C, Daniels P, Dzukey E. Scoping review of micronutrient imbalances, clinical manifestations, and interventions. World J Methodol 2025; 15(4): 107664 [DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v15.i4.107664]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Kevan English, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, S 42nd and Emile St, Omaha, NE 68198, United States. keenglish@unmc.edu
Research Domain of This Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Article-Type of This Article
Review
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Kevan English, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
Christine Uwibambe, Department of Internal Medicine, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, NJ 07753, United States
Pretty Daniels, Department of Internal Medicine, WellSpan Health-York Hospital, York, PA 17403, United States
Elfreda Dzukey, Department of Pharmacy, Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Buies Creek, NC 27506, United States
Author contributions: English K wrote the original draft, contributed to conceptualization, writing, reviewing, and editing; Uwibambe C, Daniels P, and Dzukey E reviewed and edited the article. All authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kevan English, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine, S 42nd and Emile St, Omaha, NE 68198, United States. keenglish@unmc.edu
Received: March 28, 2025 Revised: April 21, 2025 Accepted: June 10, 2025 Published online: December 20, 2025 Processing time: 130 Days and 5.7 Hours
Abstract
Micronutrients are fundamental to support and maintain normal physiological function. Deficiencies of these nutrients are a growing public health concern with potentially devastating consequences. An adequate diet of whole foods is the primary source of micronutrients; supplementation is sometimes necessary. Both deficiency and excess of these nutrients have adverse effects. Common deficiencies include iron, folate, iodine, zinc, and vitamin A, which can present clinically as a syndrome. Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) are common contributors to intellectual impairments, poor growth, perinatal complications, and increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Excess of a select few of these nutrients can result in conditions such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension and diarrhea. Interventions, including supplementation, fortification, and biofortification, can help combat MNDs. This article reviews some common micronutrient imbalances, their clinical manifestations, and treatment interventions.
Core Tip: Micronutrient deficiency is an emerging public health concern affecting more than 2 billion people globally. These deficiencies can contribute to poor growth and intellectual disabilities, which increase the risk of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Risk factors vary by micronutrient deficiency. Early recognition and intervention by clinicians drastically decrease global mortality. This article reviews various micronutrient deficiencies, their clinical features, and treatments in detail.
