Experts concerned about the lack of these four nutrients

Health experts have raised their concerns about public health, citing 4 nutrients that are increasingly less present in the body, as a result of eating foods that have little nutritional value.

Less than 10% of people reach the recommended daily intake of vegetables (2 to 3 cups a day), and only 20% of people eat enough fruit (one and a half to two cups daily). The situation is made worse by what the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services call “nutrient deficiencies,” which are important but under-consumed nutrients, HuffPost reported.

The current list of “missing nutrients” includes vitamins A, D, E, and C, along with folate, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and potassium. For adolescents and premenopausal women, iron is also a nutrient that is lacking in the body. Of these, four have been classified as “nutrients of increasing public health concern” because low intakes of them have been linked in the scientific literature to adverse health outcomes. They are fiber, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.

This downward trend is a concern for food experts.

"Unfortunately, our diets are not as nutritious as we would like, whether it's because we can't afford to buy or because we don't have the time. People aren't cooking as much as they used to and are enjoying more 'snacks' instead of sitting down to eat meals," said dietitian Sharon Palmer.

fibers

Nearly every nutrition expert interviewed for this article urged us to eat more fiber. They explain that fiber is important for many reasons, not just to avoid constipation.

"Dietary fiber is essential not only for digestive health, but it also plays an important role in metabolic health, such as protecting against heart disease and regulating blood sugar levels," explained dietitian Kara Landau.

One of the other benefits of fiber consumption, according to dietitian Chelsey Amer, is that "when you focus on increasing your fiber intake, you will also consume more of other nutrients that your body is lacking, such as vitamins A, D, E, and C found in fruits and vegetables, or the magnesium and iron found in peas."

According to dietitian Morgan Walker, most people are far from fiber targets, consuming less than 15 grams per day, while the recommended dose is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.

Calcium

Calcium is a nutrient necessary for building, strengthening, and maintaining healthy bones, but adults often think they no longer need it. However, this underrated nutrient is important throughout life.

"It's essential for continued bone and heart health," Landau said.
Another expert, dietitian Lauren Manaker, has emphasized that "the combination of calcium, vitamin D, and K2 reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures later in life."

Vitamin D deficiency

More and more studies are being done on the role of vitamin D, and more and more benefits are emerging. It is known for its role in bone health, but it is also related to general health.

"Vitamin D has an impact on immune function and is associated with a lower risk of chronic disease," said dietitian Walker.

For most adults, the daily dose of vitamin D is 600 units (IU) for people under 70 and 800 units (IU) for those over 70. According to statistics, about 35% of adults in the US are vitamin D deficient.

“IU” is an abbreviation for “International Units,” a unit used to measure the amounts of biologically active substances, such as vitamins and some hormones. IU is not a unit of measurement for weight (like grams or milligrams), but a unit that indicates the biological effect of a substance, that is, how effective it is in the body.

In the case of vitamin D, 1 IU is equal to a specific amount of vitamin D that is needed to produce a certain biological effect in the body. This amount can vary for different substances. For example: for vitamin D, 1 IU is about 0.025 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D.

potassium

If a person cannot remember the last time they ate a banana or potato, they may be one of those people who have a potassium deficiency in their body.

"Many people consume less than 2,600 milligrams of potassium per day, which is significantly lower than the recommended level of 4,700 milligrams," said dietitian Jen Hernandez.

One of the reasons why it's so important to get enough potassium is that it plays an important role in regulating blood pressure.

"But the foods richest in potassium, fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, are not consumed enough as part of the standard American diet," she said.

Whole foods, not supplements, make the difference

Speaking of deficiencies in these nutrients, some people may think that we can fill the gaps with supplements, but experts have advised people not to rely solely on them.

"Supplements can help fill in the gaps, but they can't replace a diet rich in whole foods," said dietitian Marissa Karp.

According to dietitian Walker, people don't need extreme diets or supplements to fill these nutritional gaps, but some simple, intentional dietary changes can have a big impact.