In a dispatch from Honduras, Nicholas Kristof has written a very interesting op-ed about micronutrients. By turns enlightening and horrific, Kristof's account focuses to readers' attention on the simple preventative measures which can be taken to eliminate a host of birth defects which plague developing nations. This very issue has been mentioned on the DSIB blog before, but this particular article is one of the more powerful examples we have encountered in coming from a major news source. From the NYTimes article:

“In the early stages of life, the die is cast,” said David Dodson, the founder of Project Healthy Children, an aid group that fights micronutrient deficiencies in Honduras and other poor countries. “If a child is not getting the right micronutrients, the effect is permanent.”

“I had never seen anything in my life that could have so much impact for so little money and be sustainable,” Mr. Dodson said

Please have a look at the full article, "World's Healthiest Food, and take a moment to learn more about the micronutrients discussed below.

DSIB: Iodine
DSIB: Iron
DSIB: Vitamin A
DSIB: Vitamin B-Complex
DSIB: Zinc