Abstract

Southeast Asia has undergone momentous changes in the last 50 years. Average life expectancy in the region reached 71 years in 2013, socioeconomic status is rising (although great disparities persist between and within countries), and almost half of Southeast Asians now live in urban areas, a figure expected to increase to 64% by the year 2050. Laudable successes in preventing and treating infectious diseases have caused public health efforts to shift toward addressing the growing impact of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the most important of which are cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and diabetes. Rising life expectancy will increase the burden of such diseases, and increases in affluence and urbanization in the region are responsible in part for deterioration in the quality of local diets, a critical factor in the development of NCDs. Although encouraging consumption of a healthful diet will be useful in preventing NCDs, it is unlikely that public education campaigns will suffice to persuade at-risk individuals to satisfactorily modify their dietary behaviors. Thus, other alternatives for health maintenance and NCD prevention should be investigated. This review discusses recent research on selected dietary supplements that might be useful in preventing and treating NCDs