Balancing act: Understanding nutrient interactions

Nutrient interactions refer to the dynamic relationship between various nutrients, including minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and fatty acids, for proper functioning. An excess or deficiency of one nutrient can affect the requirements for many others, and increasing or decreasing a deficient nutrient may require an increase in other nutrients. Many nutrients require other nutrients to convert into other forms, and chemical combinations or reactions between nutrients can change their biological availability. Direct metabolic requirements of one nutrient can change the biological activity of another. Structurally similar nutrients can compete for absorption and utilization, and one nutrient can replace another with a different action. This review deals with different types of interaction observed in between dietary carbohydrates, dietary proteins and dietary fats.