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50% of the population is not getting ‘critical’ micronutrients – Find out if you’re one of them
Find out if you’re among the 50% of the population not getting ‘critical’ vitamins, as a new study revealed billions of people worldwide are not getting the micronutrients they need.
Vitamin intake is highly important, and new research on the global population shows billions of people consume inadequate levels of several micronutrients that are essential to health. The study highlighted many people are lacking critical vitamins including calcium, iron, and vitamins C and E.
50% of the population are not getting ‘critical’ micronutrients
Micronutrients, also known as vitamins and minerals, are essential for human health and well-being, supporting cell and organ function, preventing disease, supporting immune response, and much more.
Recent findings sourced by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is the first study to provide global estimates of inadequate consumption of 15 micronutrients critical to human health. It revealed that more than half of the population worldwide consumes inadequate levels, and highlighted the inadequacies specifically facing males and females across their lifespans.
Micronutrient deficiencies are one of the most common forms of malnutrition globally, and each deficiency carries consequences – including adverse pregnancy outcomes, blindness, and even increased susceptibility to infectious diseases.
The study found significant intake inadequacies for nearly all the evaluated micronutrients, it was especially prevalent for iodine (68% of the global population), which is essential for normal growth and brain development, along with vitamin E (67%) – a nutrient that’s�important for vision, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain and skin.
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Additionally, 66% of the population had inadequate intake of calcium, which your body needs to build and maintain strong bones, and iron (65%) which aids growth and development. More than half of people consumed inadequate levels of riboflavin, folate, and vitamins C and B6.
Intake of niacin was closest to sufficient, with 22% of the global population consuming inadequate levels, followed by thiamin (30%) and selenium (37%).
Men and women are also affected in different ways
Results showed that estimated inadequate intakes were higher for women than men for iodine, vitamin B12, iron, and selenium within the same country and age groups. However, more men consumed inadequate levels of calcium, niacin, thiamin, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and B6 compared to women.
The researchers observed that males and females from ages 10-30 were most prone to low levels of calcium intake, especially in South and East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Findings also revealed that calcium intake was low across North America, Europe, and Central Asia.
Could this be you? The best way to increase calcium intake is to eat calcium-rich foods every day. Some foods that are high in calcium include dairy, leafy greens, and fish.
Ty Beal, a senior technical specialist, described the results as “alarming,” and said that “most people”, 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.
The research used data from the Global Dietary Database, the World Bank, and dietary recall surveys in 31 countries to compare nutritional requirements with nutritional intake among the populations of 185 countries.
They divided populations into males and females belonging to 17 age groups and studied fifteen vitamins and minerals: calcium, iodine, iron, riboflavin, folate, zinc, magnesium, selenium, thiamin, niacin, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and E.
Researchers noted that a lack of available data, especially on individual dietary intake worldwide, may have limited their findings.
