The alarming lack of essential nutrients is a threat to public health
Refined foods and poor dietary habits are the reasons why billions of people in the world lack essential nutrients like B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, selenium and zinc. This catastrophic nutrient crisis, which even affects people in the western world, contributes to infections and pandemics, impaired fertility, poor quality of life, chronic diseases, and early death, according to a study that is published in The Lancet Global Health. The study authors call their results very alarming and believe that it is necessary for health authorities to take action now to improve public health. There is also a problem with lack of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, even though they were not included in the study.
We humans need energy-providing macronutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and protein, but we also need micronutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals for energy turnover, tissue production, and thousands of enzyme processes that are essential for optimal function of our digestion, nervous system, hormone production, immune defense, and cellular antioxidant defense. Lack of micronutrients is currently one of the most common types of malnutrition in the world. It used to be limited to developing countries, but now it even affects the western countries, where there is a huge consumption of nutrient-depleted and refined foods.
The study looked closer at lifelong intake of 15 vitamins and minerals in populations in different countries. The researchers collected data from The Global Dietary Database, The World Bank, and other nutrition studies in 185 countries. Afterwards, the participants’ nutrient intake was analyzed to see if they got enough of the different nutrients compared with the official dietary guidelines. The participants were divided by gender and in different age groups from 0 to 80 years and older.
The study revealed the following widespread problems with lack of vitamins and minerals, affecting billions of people worldwide:
- Iodine: 68 % (5.1 billion)
- Vitamin E: 67 % (5 billion)
- Calcium: 66 % (5 billion)
- Iron: 65 % (4.9 billion)
- Vitamin B2: 55 % (4.1 billion)
- Folic acid: 54 % (4 billion)
- Vitamin C: 53 % (4 billion)
- Vitamin B6: 51 % (3.9 billion)
- Vitamin A: 48 % (3.6 billion)
- Zinc: 46 % (3.5 billion)
- Vitamin B12: 39 % (3 billion)
- Selenium: 37 % (2.8 billion)
- Magnesium: 31 % (2.4 billion)
- Thiamin (vitamin B1): 30 % (2.2 billion)
- Niacin (vitamin B3) 22 % (1.7 billion)
The researchers also observed that more women than men got too little iodine, vitamin B12, iron, and selenium in the same country and same age group. This was most likely because many women eat less meat, fish, and eggs than men do.
On the other side, more men than women got too little vitamin B6, niacin, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, which may be because many men eat less fruit and vegetables compared with women.
The consequences of widespread vitamin and mineral deficiencies
The unhealthy diet habits that are mainly a result of ultra-processed foods, are spreading like a pandemic and represent a threat to public health because lack of certain vitamins and minerals can cause serious health problems. There are also cocktail effects because the vitamins and minerals work together as a team. Lack of nutrients during pregnancy can harm the baby’s physical and mental development. Later in life, deficiencies of various vitamins and minerals can lead to poor well-being, infections, chronic inflammation, anemia, neurological disorders, diabetes, thyroid diseases, disrupted gut flora, skin disorders, gastro-intestinal diseases, cancer, and a number of other problems.
The alarming deficiencies are a call for action
According to the authors, this is the first study to make a global assessment of the widespread problems with nutrient deficiencies in both genders, in all age groups, and across different regions and income levels. The results are alarming and much worse than anticipated. The researchers hope that their study will shed new light on the critical situation, and that this will urge health authorities around the world to take the necessary steps to improve public health.
For the record, it is believed that one billion people worldwide lack vitamin D. We only get a small amount of this vitamin from our diet. Our main source of vitamin D is the sun during the summer period. There is also a widespread lack of omega-3 fatty acids. In the United States, more than 68% of adults and 95% of children fail to get the recommended amount of omega-3 from oily fish. A similar trend is seen in other countries.
References:
Simone Passarelli et al. Global estimation of dietary micronutrient inadequacies: a modeling analysis. The Lancet Global Health 2024
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Billions worldwide consume inadequate levels of micronutrients critical to human health. ScienceDaily. 2024
Danielle Masterson. Study finds most Americans low in omega-3 fatty acids, could impact mood. Nutraingredients 2021
Zahid Naeem. Vitamin D Deficiency – An ignored Epidemic. International Journal of Health Sciences. 2010
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