In America, access to and intake of high caloric foods are prevalent. These are foods that meet our energy or calorie needs. However, access to and intake of nutritious foods is another story. The concept of being “well fed, but undernourished” can be defined as consuming adequate or excess calories, but not getting adequate nutrients such as essential vitamins, minerals and other health-promoting substances in the diet.
Studies using information on nutrient intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) have indicated that up to 9 out of 10 Americans get less than the recommended amount for one or more vitamins and minerals in their diets. That’s a huge number! Inadequate nutrient intakes could lead to deficiencies and some of the most common nutrient deficiencies in America are iron, Vitamin D, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin B12 and calcium. One thing that many of us may not realize is that nutrient deficiencies can be tricky to identify. Aside from lab results, they can present themselves in a variety of physical and mental symptoms. If deficiencies are not addressed appropriately, they can lead to a variety of health problems.
Julie Tang Nutrition 