A group of American scientists conducted a comprehensive study of the diet of the population around the world, during which they came to the conclusion that the human diet is lacking four specific nutrients. more than 60% of peopleThey are very essential nutrients for good health, so it is important to know how to get them. get them through diet. We don’t necessarily have to focus on additives, as we can find them in many foods. But it is clear that there are nutritional deficiency are very common and we may not be taking them in enough quantities.
Some of these nutrients are usually analyzed almost any routine analysis. This is the case, for example, with iron. On the other hand, deficiencies of other substances, such as vitamin E, are not analyzed as regularly. Therefore, it is important that we, as patients, try to have as complete a diet as possible and that, in turn, health care professionals add some of these components to the tests if they see symptoms that are suspicious of a deficiency.
Let’s take a look at what these four nutrients are. what effects can this produce its deficiency and what is it food we can find them. We may not lack any of them, but it is good to know them in order to eat properly.
Nutrient Deficiencies We Didn’t Know About
There are many studies of nutritional deficiencies in various populations around the world. However, perhaps none as comprehensive as the one just published in Lancet Global Health.
To do this, they combined data from World Dietary Database with statistical models developed specifically for this case. The goal was to use this large sample of data to gain insight into the diet of the world’s population. They were not able to achieve 100% accuracy. However, they estimated that their statistical models allowed them to gain insight into the diet 99.3% of the population, equivalent to 185 countries.
So they saw that there was a fairly widespread deficiency of essential nutrients all over the world, regardless of region and economic income. Many nutrients were affected, but they felt particularly alarming about four of them.
What are essential nutrients?
Essential nutrients are those that are necessary for our body to function properly. Therefore, it is very important to get them from the diet, since without them, symptoms and diseases of varying severity may occur.
The most common nutritional deficiency
According to the study, the world’s diet is most often deficient in four nutrients: iodine, vitamin E, calcium and iron.
Iodine and its relationship with the thyroid gland
There is little iodine in the diet. 68% of the world’s populationIt is an essential nutrient for the synthesis of thyroxinea hormone produced by the thyroid gland that interferes with normal growth since we were kids. It also plays a key role in cognitive development and heart health. And as people who develop hypo- or hyperthyroidism over time will prove, it is closely related to body weightInsufficient iodine intake can affect thyroxine levels, leading to numerous negative health consequences.
Therefore, it is important that we get it through food. It is mainly found in seafood, salted fish such as cod, seaweed, dairy products and, of course, iodized saltIt is not good to overuse salt, but if iodine deficiency is suspected, it may be advisable that the small amount we take be iodized salt.
Don’t forget about vitamin E
Vitamin E is perhaps one of the most forgotten vitamins. Much attention is paid to the need to have enough vitamin C to avoid colds, or vitamin D to improve bone health. B12 is the vitamin vegans should supplement with, and vitamin A promotes eye health. But what about vitamin E?
It’s an essential vitamin, but we don’t usually talk about it that much. Perhaps that’s why, because we don’t know its importance, it’s part of a widespread nutritional deficiency. This study estimates that there is a shortage of 67% of the population and this is a problem because it performs a very useful function in our body. For example, it helps recycle wasteinterferes with communication between cells and advocates for strengthening immune system. Without it, we can get much sicker than necessary if we get an infection. That’s why it’s important to eat foods like nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and corn and soybean oils.
Nutritional deficiencies also include calcium.
A 66% of the world’s population According to this study, he has a calcium deficiency. This logically affects bone health. But also to that of muscles, nerves and heart. lactic These are the first calcium-containing foods that come to mind, but there are other foods that are high in this nutrient, such as: sardines, almonds, pistachios, beans or artichokes.
You need to take more iron
There are many people who have iron deficiency in their blood tests. However, it is curious to think that even 65% of the population You may be getting too little iron from your diet. Fatigue and headache These are the first symptoms that appear due to this deficiency. However, there may be more alarming symptoms, such as: restless legs syndrome or heart problems. Moreover, its deficiency can lead to anemia with all the ensuing consequences.
To avoid this, you should take a diet rich in this nutrient. Be careful because and spinach and lentils They have very good marketing in this regard, but they are not the richest iron foods. We can find it in large quantities in foods such as shellfish, soy, eggs or liver.
If we eat a balanced diet and have no underlying health issues, we should not have any nutritional deficiencies. But just in case there is any doubt, we can always consult a doctor to decide whether we should get tested. We insist: this is not about trying to solve this problem with supplements. Usually, there is enough food. Besides, missing out is as bad as missing out. If we have a good diet and add supplements just in case, we may be consuming too much of certain nutrients. The key is in balance.
Source: Hiper Textual
