Billions of people around the world are lacking several nutrients that are essential for human health.
A new study has found that nearly half of the world’s population does not consume enough intakes of critical nutrients, such as iron, iodine and calcium.
Missing Nutrients
According to the study, published in The Lancet Global Health journal, more than 5 billion people do not consume enough iodine (68% of the global population), vitamin E (67%), and calcium (66%).
Moreover, more than 4 billion people do not get sufficient intake of iron (65%), riboflavin (55%), folate (54%), and vitamin C (53%).
The study was conducted by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). It is the first study to analyze and provide global estimates for the inadequate consumption of 15 essential micronutrients across 185 countries.
Study Significance
In a press release, the study authors explained that deficiencies of critical nutrients are one of the most common forms of malnutrition worldwide. Each of these deficiencies has its own negative implications on human health. This varies from adverse pregnancy outcomes, to blindness, to increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.
In the light of this, the new study assessed whether the dietary intakes meet recommended nutritional requirements for human health and examined gender-specific nutritional gaps.
The study co-lead author and research professor at UCSB, Chris Free, said: “Our study is a big step forward. Not only because it is the first to estimate inadequate micronutrient intakes for 34 age-sex groups in nearly every country, but also because it makes these methods and results easily accessible to researchers and practitioners.”
Study Methodology
The researchers analyzed data from the Global Dietary Database, the World Bank, and dietary recall surveys in 31 countries to compare nutritional requirements with nutrients intake among the populations of 185 countries.
They divided populations into 17 age groups for both males and females: zero to 80 in five-year spans, in addition to an 80+ group. The study assessed 15 vitamins and minerals: calcium, iodine, iron, riboflavin, folate, zinc, magnesium, selenium, thiamin, niacin, in addition to vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and E. It excluded fortified foods and supplements.
Nutritional Gaps
The study showed that women were more likely than men to consume insufficient intakes of iodine, vitamin B12, iron, and selenium, within the same country and age groups.
On the other hand, men did not get enough intakes of calcium, niacin, thiamin, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and B6 compared to women.
Furthermore, researchers found geographical patterns in nutrients consumption. In South and East Asia, the Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa, calcium intake inadequacy was highest, especially among people aged 10–30 years.
Meanwhile, countries in North America, Europe, and central Asia had a low calcium intake. Additionally, the study observed high levels of insufficient intakes of riboflavin and vitamin B12 in South Asia and Africa.
With regards to this, senior technical specialist at GAIN, Ty Beal, warned that these results are “alarming.” He said: “Most people—even more than previously thought, across all regions and countries of all incomes—are not consuming enough of multiple essential micronutrients. These gaps compromise health outcomes and limit human potential on a global scale.”
How to Get Critical Nutrients?
Dietitians recommend that we add more colorful fruits and vegetables to our diets to get all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients our bodies need. We should also follow diets that contain nuts, seeds and whole grains, according to CNN.
Calcium is important for bones and overall health. It is abundant in dairy products, dark leafy greens, salmon and tahini. Meanwhile, folate, necessary for red blood cell formations, can be found in dark green vegetables, beans, peas, lentils.
Furthermore, we can increase our iodine intake by eating fish, shrimps, dairy products, eggs and iodized salt. We can get iron from duck, beef, spinach, artichokes, beans, lentils, dark leafy greens and potatoes.
Legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables are rich in magnesium, while niacin can be found in beef, chicken, turkey, brown rice, pumpkin seeds, and salmon. The last critical nutrient is riboflavin, important for metabolism and the immune system. It is found in eggs, dairy products, meats, grains and green vegetables.
