Nutrition
is directly related to human health. It is very critical to determine the nutritional
status to prevent or diagnose diseases and create the right treatment plans.
The determination of the nutritional status provides an early diagnosis of
growth and development retardation such as malnutrition. It also plays a major
role in preventing diseases that may be caused by vitamin and mineral
deficiencies. It helps in the surveillance of one of the world's most serious
health problems, namely “obesity.” Different ways can be used to assess
nutritional status. One of the best ways to assess the nutritional and health
status is to use biomarkers. A biomarker is a substance whose detection
indicates a specific disease state or a response to a therapeutic intervention.
Biomarkers are used to detect nutrient consumption and deficiencies as early as
possible, enabling early intervention for metabolic problems. Biomarkers also
allow the visualization of diseases that a person might develop or potentially
have with a sample, such as blood, tissue, and urine, from the person. Health
interventions such as nutritional advice will preserve health or promote rapid
recovery. In this chapter, the topic of biomarkers related to nutrition and
nutrient deficiencies is discussed. The existence of new possible biomarkers is
also reviewed.
Keywords: Biomarker, Dietary biomarkers, Food Exposure Markers, Macronutrient, Metabolomics, Micronutrient, Nutrient, Nutrigenomics, Nutrition, Nutritional Assessment, Omics technologies.
