Our ability to absorb zinc is reduced with age, and many older people lack zinc, even though there is plenty of zinc in the diet they eat. The trace element is involved in over 1,000 enzyme processes and is also an important antioxidant that protects our cells. Even minor zinc deficiencies can speed up ageing processes and contribute to skin and hair problems, infections such as bladder infections, chronic inflammation, elevated blood pressure, cancer, and other diseases. People with unhealthy diets, vegetarians, vegans, and older people are at particularly vulnerable. Certain types of medicine that many seniors take can also increase the risk of a zinc deficiency.

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University in the United States, vitamin D is able to protect overweight children against asthma caused by urban air pollution. Sunshine during the summer period is the main source of vitamin D, but due to our modern lifestyles, many people, including children, fail to get enough of the nutrient. This may have widespread consequences, as lack of vitamin D also increases the risk of overweight.

– and that may harm your fertility, metabolism, nervous system, and the growth of your child

Everyone is talking about the climate, and meat has lost popularity for a number of reasons. But let us keep our heads clear on the facts. There is a big difference between CO2 emissions, animal welfare, and the quality or quantity of meat on one hand and the nutritional aspects of meat on the other hand. Humans have been eating meat (including fish) for around two million years, and animal food sources have contributed to our large brains and development in general. Nonetheless, more and more people choose to become vegetarians, and the trend is especially popular among women. This gives rise for concern, as lack of protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, iron, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids not only impairs fertility but even increases the risk of metabolic disorders, serious growth disturbances in children and a lot more. Some of these symptoms are insidious and therefore difficult to link to the diet.

- and cause serious physical and psychological disease

Type 2 diabetes is spreading like a bushfire, and taking the diabetes drug metformin increases the risk of vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 deficiencies. Lacking these two important B vitamins is associated with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction that resembles dementia. This was shown in a study that is published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. An earlier study that was presented at an endocrinology conference in Glasgow suggested that type 2 diabetics that take metformin on a regular basis have their vitamin B12 status checked once a year to prevent irreparable damage to the nervous system. It is also important to focus on vitamin B6, which is also crucial for the brain and nervous system.

Bladder infection is one of the most widespread bacterial infections. It can lead to serious complications such as kidney infections and blood poisoning. A team of scientists from University of Queensland in Australia has discovered new details about zinc and its role in the immune defense, and how zinc helps the white blood cells fight coli bacteria that are the main cause of bladder infections. Women are more exposed than men, and there are some rather easy ways for them to prevent coli bacteria from spreading to the urinary tract.

- while omega-6 can aggravate the disease

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in our diet have opposite effects on the severity of asthma in vulnerable children. Omega-3 appears to reduce the severity of asthma symptoms, while omega-6 seems to make the symptoms worse, according to an article published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine. The problem with modern diets is that they tend to contain far too little omega-3 and far too much omega-6. However, this is something one can correct with help from dietary changes and fish oil supplements.

Vitamin K occurs in various forms and has a number of different biological function. The most recent research focuses on vitamin K2, which is of vital importance to the body’s calcium distribution and therefore has a crucial role in bone building and in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Vitamin K2 is also important for various proteins that are involved in energy turnover, blood sugar regulation, and cancer prevention, according to a review article that is published in BioMed Research International. Actual vitamin K2 deficiencies are considered rare, yet there are studies to suggest that many people lack the nutrient due to altered diet habits and the use of cholesterol-lowering medicine. The question is how much vitamin K2 do we actually need?

Lack of selenium, an essential trace element, may cause thyroid disorders, cardiovascular disease, virus infections, AIDS, infertility, neurological disturbances, and cancer. An estimated one billion people worldwide are selenium-deficient. This is mainly a result of nutrient-depleted soil, which is a real problem in places like Europe. For decades, scientists have been warning about this problem, and a lot suggests that we need more than the officially recommended intake to protect ourselves effectively against disease, according to a review article published in StatPearls.