Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Updated : September 9, 2014 12:08 PM IST
September 1-7 is National Nutrition Week.
It's difficult to explain the Indian diet or cuisine due to the cultural diversity and varied geographical features in different parts of the country. However, the Indian diet largely comprises of cereals, pulses, vegetables, fats, milk and milk products that offer all essential nutrients required for proper growth and development. Yet, more than 50% of the Indian population is under-nourished. In fact, India ranks number one in terms of low birth weight infants at an estimated 7.4 million undernourished kids.
While nutritional deficiencies prevail in rural areas, changes in lifestyle and the dramatic shift to unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity has caused nutritional deficiencies to spread like an epidemic in urban areas as well. Even after sixty six years of independence, India has still to battle these top seven nutritional deficiencies.
Vitamin D deficiency
Given that the best source of vitamin D is exposure to sunlight, it was believed that vitamin D deficiency is least likely to occur in people living in tropical environments like India. Surprisingly, nearly 60-80% of the Indian population is deficient in Vitamin D. Several studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency has spread across all age groups, making conditions like osteoporosis a major health problem. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the daily recommended allowance of Vitamin D is 600 IU/day, which you could obtain by going out in the sunlight for 15 minutes every day.
Calcium deficiency
Dietary calcium intake among Indians remains significantly low, mainly in those who have vitamin D deficiency, because its absorption is dependent on adequate levels of vitamin D. Nutritional experts note that the deficiency of a nutrient like calcium that is abundantly present in milk and milk products is a direct result of the consumption of high-calorie foods like pizzas and burgers during early childhood years. Sticking to healthy food habits in teenage years can prevent the risk of osteoporosis and bone related disorders in adulthood.
Vitamin B complex deficiencies
Although, the requirement for B vitamins is easily fulfilled with a diet rich in animal products, fruits and vegetables and cereals are milled, it is now prevalent in India. It's hard to identify B complex deficiency because neither it's killer nor does it lead to a major health problem. But, it has far-reaching effects and is carried across generations. It has increased the risk of heart disease in the past few decades, demanding more research in the field.
The most common B12 deficiency was not thought to be prevalent in India but recent studies have shown 47-49% prevalence. B12 deficiency is especially a problem in pregnant women as it could lead to long-term effects of fetal development. Further, deficiencies during pregnancy seem to pass through generations. The recommended daily allowance for B12 in Indians is 1 g/day for all individuals. However, pregnant women and lactating women should have 1.2 and 1.5 g/day. The problem with B complex is that one micro-nutrient deficiency can lead to another. Adequate levels of vitamin B12 are required for conversion of inactive folate to its active form. Naturally, those without adequate levels of B12 are likely to suffer from folic acid deficiency.
Zinc deficiency
Over the last few years, deficiency of zinc has emerged as major micronutrient deficiency. Large population is at risk, especially in the developing countries like India. It's a common in pregnant and lactating women, forming a predominant cause of death in children from rural areas.
Iron deficiency
More than 75% of toddlers in India suffer from iron-deficiency anemia and about 52 per cent of young women girls are severely anemic. Iron deficiency has a negative impact on brain development. It contributes greatly to maternal and child mortality. In urban areas, lack of leafy vegetables in the diet has become the primary reason for deficiency of iron resulting in anemia.
Iodine deficiency
Globally, India bears the largest population of children susceptible to iodine-deficiency. Although the iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) control programme in India has successfully reduced the prevalence of iodine deficiency in our country, the rural population experiences iodine deficiency.
Vitamin A deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency still remains a major public health nutritional problem in rural pre-school children of India. According to estimates, 250,000 to 500,000 children deficient in vitamin A become blind every year and half of them die. In India, it is more prevalent in children with vegetarian diet and often occurs along with zinc deficiency. It also makes children more susceptible to iron deficiency because of its crucial role in mobilising iron from the site where it is stored.
Image source: Getty images
You may also like to read:
For more articles on Diseases & Conditions, visit our Diseases & Conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our Question & Answer section.
Reference:
