Global Study Highlights Widespread Micronutrient Insufficiency Across Age and Gender in India

According to a study published in The Lancet Global Health, people of all ages in India, including men and women, experience Micronutrient Insufficiency, consuming insufficient amounts of essential nutrients for health, such as iron, calcium, and folate.

According to an international team of experts, including those from Harvard University in the United States, the study is the first to present estimates of insufficient consumption of 15 micronutrients across 185 nations, obtained via diets rather than supplements. The findings revealed that about 70% of the world’s population, or more than five billion people, do not get enough iodine, vitamin E, and calcium.

Micronutrient Insufficiency by Gender and Age

The researchers also discovered that within a country and age group, more women consumed insufficient levels of iodine, vitamin B12, and iron than men, whereas men consumed insufficient amounts of magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, and vitamin C than women. The study discovered that in India, whereas more women consumed insufficient levels of iodine, more men ingested insufficient amounts of zinc and magnesium.

While studies on micronutrient deficiencies have been conducted during the last decade, the researchers reported that major data gaps exist for numerous micronutrients and demographic categories. The authors of this study used publicly accessible data from the Global Dietary Database to estimate the prevalence of insufficient nutrient consumption for 99.3% of the global population. The team found that men and women aged 10 to 30 were more likely to have low calcium consumption, particularly in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The authors stated that the data could help public health practitioners target populations in need of nutritional changes. They also stated that because they did not account for fortified food or supplement use, the results may be an overestimation of several critical nutrients in areas where people consume a lot of fortified foods and supplements.

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