Fortified wheat flour and its health benefits
What it found
Fortifying everyday flours like wheat, maize and rice can help fight micronutrient deficiencies and related illnesses, especially in children and women.
Some studies show it works.
What they found
Studies in people and animals
Fighting deficiencies
Some studies show that fortifying flour is effective at combating micronutrient deficiencies and several diseases.
Other findings
Fortifying daily flours
Flours, especially wheat, maize and rice, are a common food in diets worldwide. They are seen as a good vehicle for adding micronutrients.
Meeting population needs
Flour fortification strategies are directed to meet the nutritional and health needs of populations.
Vulnerable groups
The review highlights issues related to flour fortification to meet nutritional needs and improve the health of vulnerable populations.
What the authors conclude
- They say flour fortification strategies are directed to meet nutritional and health needs of the populations.
- They highlight multifaceted issues related to flour fortification to meet nutritional needs and to improve the health of vulnerable populations.
How it was done
Many people worldwide, especially children and women, get too little of key vitamins and minerals, which causes several illnesses. Governments and world organizations have worked hard to fix this and improve public health.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment.
- It cannot show on its own what would happen if a specific population started eating fortified flour.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal
The paper
- Title
- Flour fortification for nutritional and health improvement: A review
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Cardoso RVC, Fernandes Â, Gonzaléz-Paramás AM, Barros L, Ferreira ICFR (2019). Flour fortification for nutritional and health improvement: A review. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.). doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2019.108576PubMed 31554122DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error