
According to a new study by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, UC Santa Barbara, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), more than half of the world’s population consumes inadequate levels of several micronutrients essential to health, including calcium, iron, and vitamins C and E. This study is the first to present estimates of the inadequate consumption of 15 micronutrients that are important for human health on a global scale.
The Lancet Global Health released the report on Thursday.
One of the most prevalent types of malnutrition in the world is micronutrient deficiencies, each of which has unique health effects, such as increased susceptibility to infectious infections, blindness, and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. The amounts of micronutrients that people can and do consume have been determined in earlier studies; this study assesses whether these intakes match the needs suggested for human health and examines the deficiencies that specifically affect men and women throughout their lifespans.
Research professor at UCSB and co-lead author Chris Free commented, “Our study is a big step forward.” “Not only is it the first to calculate the insufficient intakes of micronutrients for 34 age-sex groups in almost every nation, but it also makes these techniques and Key outcomes that academics and practitioners can readily access.”
The researchers compared nutritional requirements with nutritional intake among the populations of 185 nations using data from the World Bank, the Global Dietary Database, and dietary recall questionnaires in 31 countries. Males and females in 17 age groups—zero to 80 at five-year intervals and an 80+ group—were separated from the population. Fifteen vitamins and minerals were examined in the assessment: niacin, calcium, magnesium, selenium, riboflavin, folate, iron, calcium, iodine, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and E.
With the exception of fortification, which could be a source of extra nutrients, the study discovered substantial consumption deficiencies for almost all of the assessed micronutrients. Inadequate consumption was particularly common for iron (65%), calcium (66%), vitamin E (67%) and iodine (68%) among the world’s population. The majority of individuals had insufficient intakes of riboflavin, folate, and vitamins C and B6. The most closely aligned dietary intake was for niacin, as only 22% of the world’s population consumed insufficient amounts. This was followed by thiamin (30%) and selenium (37%).
In the same nation and age categories, women’s estimated insufficient intakes for iodine, vitamin B12, iron, and selenium were greater than men’s. On the other hand, more men ingested insufficient
levels of zinc, magnesium, calcium, niacin, thiamin, and vitamins A, C, and B6 in comparison to women. Although sex-based patterns of micronutrient deficiency were more obvious, the researchers also found that poor calcium consumption was more common in boys and girls aged 10 to 30. Sub-Saharan Africa, East and South Asia. Intake of calcium was likewise low in Central Asia, Europe, and North America.
Senior technical specialist at GAIN Ty Beal stated, “These results are alarming.” “Most people—even more than previously believed, in all areas and nations with all income levels—do not consume adequate amounts of several key micronutrients. Globally, these disparities restrict human potential and jeopardize health outcomes.
Senior author Christopher Golden, an associate professor of nutrition and planetary health at Harvard Chan School, continued, “The public health challenge facing us is immense, but practitioners and policymakers have the opportunity to identify the most effective dietary interventions and target them to the populations most in need.”
The researchers pointed out that their findings might have been constrained by a lack of data, particularly on dietary intake on an individual basis globally.
Good Nutrition for good and healthy life.