What is micronutrient deficiency and how does it affect health?

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To maintain the brain, muscles, bones, nerves, skin, blood circulation and immune system, your body needs a steady supply of various raw materials, both micro and micronutrients. You need large amounts of the macronutrients protein, fat, and carbohydrates. And while you only need a small amount of vitamin and mineral micronutrients, even that small amount is unlikely to guarantee disease.

1. What are micronutrients?

Micronutrients, commonly known as vitamins and minerals, are essential for healthy growth, disease prevention and well-being. With the exception of vitamin D, the micronutrients are not produced in the body and must be obtained from the diet.
Although people only need small amounts of micronutrients, it is important to consume the recommended amount. Micronutrient deficiencies can have serious consequences. At least half of children under the age of 5 worldwide have vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

2. The importance of micronutrients

Nearly 30 vitamins and minerals that your body cannot produce on its own are called "essential micronutrients". In the absence of foods, fresh fruits or vegetables, the main source of vitamin C causes bleeding gums and listless rickets, an often fatal disease. Even today in many low-income countries, people regularly suffer from various diseases due to lack of nutrients.
True vitamin and mineral deficiencies where the lack of a single nutrient directly leads to a particular disease because we offer a wide variety of inexpensive foods and the addition of a wide variety of common foods with several important nutrients. However, eating less than optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other key compounds can still contribute to a number of major diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. As a result, concern about "undernutrition," a controversial topic, is a key driver of both dietary guidelines and the mass marketing of over-the-counter supplements.

3. Are you getting enough micronutrients?

So how can you make sure you're meeting your nutrient needs? Unfortunately, a raft of conflicting studies has led to general confusion, and all too much research has resulted in new marketing claims that may or may not be confirmed by later research. . In fact, the best way to get vitamins and minerals is from a well-rounded diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and lean protein sources, along with healthy fats, such as such as nuts and olive oil.

4. The role of micronutrients

The micronutrients vitamin B9, vitamin C, vitamin A, Vitamin D and zinc, iron, Iodine.... play a role in maintaining immune function and supplements containing them are commonly sold. as immune boosters in doses exceeding the daily recommendation. However, there is no evidence that such supplements offer more benefits than just following a healthy diet. Instead of taking pills to get these micronutrients, it's wiser to use a variety of foods to boost your immune system.
4.1. Iron Iron is important for motor and cognitive development. Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to the consequences of iron deficiency.
Iron deficiency is the leading cause of anemia, defined as low hemoglobin levels. Anemia affects 43% of children under the age of 5 and 38% of pregnant women globally.
Anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of maternal mortality and low birth weight. Worldwide, the total number of maternal and neonatal deaths ranges from 2.5 million to 3.4 million each year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends iron and folic acid supplements to reduce anemia and improve iron deficiency in women of reproductive age.
Iron and folic acid fortified wheat flour is globally recognized as an effective, low-cost intervention

4.2. Vitamin A Vitamin A supports healthy vision and immune system functions. Children deficient in vitamin A face a greater risk of blindness and death from infections such as measles and diarrhea.
Globally, vitamin A deficiency affects an estimated 190 million preschool-aged children.
Providing supplemental vitamin A to children aged 6-59 months is highly effective in reducing all-cause mortality where vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem.
4.3. Vitamin D Vitamin D helps build strong bones by helping the body absorb calcium. This helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.
Vitamin D deficiency causes bone diseases, including rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Vitamin D helps the immune system fight bacteria and viruses.
Essential vitamins for muscle and nerve functions.
Available data suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be globally prevalent.
The body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but this varies depending on geography, skin color, air pollution and other factors. In addition, it is necessary to limit sun exposure to avoid the risk of skin cancer.
4.3. Iodine Iodine is needed during pregnancy and infancy for healthy infant growth and cognitive development.
Globally an estimated 1.8 billion people do not get enough iodine.
The iodine content in most foods and beverages is low.
Iodine fortification of salt is a successful intervention - approximately 86% of households worldwide consume iodized salt.
The amount of iodine added to salt can be adjusted so that people maintain adequate iodine intake even when they eat little salt

4.4. Vitamin B9 Folate (vitamin B9) is essential in the early days of fetal development for healthy brain and spine development.
Ensuring adequate folate intake in women before conception can reduce neural tube defects (such as spina bifida and anencephaly).
Folic acid is another form of vitamin B9. Giving folic acid supplements to women aged 15-49 years and fortifying foods like wheat flour with folic acid reduces rates of neural tube defects and infant mortality
4.5. Zinc Zinc promotes immune functions and helps people fight infectious diseases including diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Zinc is also needed for a healthy pregnancy.
Globally, 17.3% of the population is at risk of zinc deficiency due to an irregular diet; up to 30% of people are at risk in some areas of the world.
Providing zinc supplements reduces the rate of preterm birth, reduces diarrhea in children and respiratory infections, reduces the number of deaths from all causes, and increases growth and weight gain in infants birth and young children.
4.6. Vitamin C
Antioxidant, necessary for collagen formation to keep skin firm, good for teeth and gums, healthy blood vessels, increased absorption of iron and increased resistance to infection.

5. What are the consequences of micronutrient deficiency?

5.1. Vitamin A deficiency Vitamin A plays an important role for young children, helping children to develop normally, enhance immunity, protect corneas, skin, mucous membranes or suffer from infections such as diarrhea, sugar respiration, corneal dryness, blindness
5.2. Rickets due to lack of calcium and vitamin D
Rickets in children is mainly caused by vitamin D deficiency, which reduces calcium absorption in the intestines, the body will mobilize calcium from bones into the blood, causing bone mineralization disorders. children crying, vomiting, restless sleep, night sweats, hair loss, wide fontanelles, big heads, slow teething, slow walking, enlarged chest, bone deformities,...) reduce the height of children. young.
5.3. Iron deficiency Iron is a component of hemoglobin, participating in oxygen transport and cellular respiration. Iron deficiency causes anemia and respiratory infections, bacterial infections in children.
5.4. Iodine deficiency goiter When the body lacks iodine, the thyroid gland enlarges causing goiter. Children with iodine deficiency have mental retardation, growth retardation, retardation, and dullness.
5.5. Malnutrition and stunting due to zinc deficiency Zinc plays an important role in growth and immunity, especially in young children. Zinc deficiency makes children grow slowly, anorexic, reduce resistance, or get infections, malnutrition, and stunted height growth.
Periodic health check-ups will help to detect early nutritional deficiencies of the body, thereby, have a treatment plan to achieve optimal results. Currently, Vinmec International General Hospital has general health checkup packages suitable for each age, gender and individual needs of customers with a reasonable price policy, including:
Health checkup package general Standard 2020 General health check-up package VIP 2020 General health check-up package Special 2020 General health check-up package Children 2020 General health examination package Work permit - Issuance of work permits Examination results of people sick will be returned home. After receiving the results of the general health examination, if you detect diseases that require intensive examination and treatment, you can use services from other specialties at the Hospital with quality treatment and services. outstanding customer service.

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