Billions Aren’t Eating Enough Of 7 Critical Nutrients

More than half of the global population isn’t consuming enough of seven critical nutrients necessary for human health, according to a new study, Kristen Rogers reported for CNN.

More than 5 billion people don’t consume enough iodine, vitamin E, or calcium, while over 4 billion people are deficient in iron, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin C.

The study, published in The Lancet Global Health found that more than 5 billion people don’t consume enough iodine, vitamin E, or calcium. Additionally, over 4 billion people are deficient in iron, riboflavin, folate, and vitamin C.

These nutrients are essential for functions like blood and bone health.

Co-lead study author Dr. Christopher Free, from the Marine Science Institute and the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, highlighted the study's significance: “Our study is a big step forward, not only because it is the first to estimate inadequate micronutrient intakes for 34 age-sex groups in nearly every country, but also because it makes these methods and results easily accessible to researchers and practitioners.”

While previous research has examined micronutrient deficiencies globally, this is the first study to provide a comprehensive estimate of inadequate intakes based on specific nutritional requirements across 185 countries.