An interesting and useful paper showing both kids and adults at risk for various nutrient deficiencies in the US. When I was taking nutrition courses back in the day we'd all be told other than a few key demographics (e.g., infants, etc) American's were at low (they indicated non existent) risk of deficiencies due to foods being fortified and the classic "...and multi vitamins just cause expensive urine." Of course when you step out of academia, see people, work with people, read blood tests, etc, you quickly learn various nutrient deficiencies far more common than realized, and while nutrition is the essential component to the problem, a good multi vite is money well spent and one of the more cost effective and way to address much of it and the study found those not taking supplements at highest risk of deficiency. Who would thunked it?!
Risk of Deficiency in Multiple Concurrent Micronutrients in Children and Adults in the United States
Abstract
Certain population sub-groups in the United States are vulnerable to micronutrient malnutrition. Nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) describing the biochemical status of vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, folate, and anemia, were aggregated to determine the overall risk of multiple concurrent deficiencies in U.S. children and adults (n = 15,030) aged >9 years. The prevalence of deficiency risk according to socio-demographic, life-stage, dietary supplement use, and dietary adequacy categories was investigated.
Thirty-one percent of the U.S. population was at risk of at least one vitamin deficiency or anemia, with 23%, 6.3%, and 1.7% of the U.S. population at risk of deficiency in 1, 2, or 3–5 vitamins or anemia, respectively. A significantly higher deficiency risk was seen in women (37%), non-Hispanic blacks (55%), individuals from low income households (40%), or without a high school diploma (42%), and underweight (42%) or obese individuals (39%). A deficiency risk was most common in women 19–50 years (41%), and pregnant or breastfeeding women (47%).
Dietary supplement non-users had the highest risk of any deficiency (40%), compared to users of full-spectrum multivitamin-multimineral supplements (14%) and other dietary supplement users (28%). Individuals consuming an adequate diet based on the Estimated Average Requirement had a lower risk of any deficiency (16%) than those with an inadequate diet (57%). Nearly one-third of the U.S. population is at risk of deficiency in at least one vitamin, or has anemia
Full Paper:
http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/7/655
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