20 replies to this topic

[Mr Serendipity]

Hi.

 

Can people collaborate on this forum, to create a list of the most common nutritional deficiencies of people in western countries.

 

I've been taking all sorts of supplements for years, trying to optimize my health, feel better, and alleviate ailments. You pretty much give up on supplements when nothing lasts as a long term smooth solution.

 

Then I start supplementing ionic magnesium for the first time ever. And I feel this mineral has done much more in terms of restoring my body function and health, than any other supplement I've ever taken.

 

So all these years of supplementation, all I needed was more magnesium to solve a lot of things.

 

So what I would like to do is individually supplement the big deficiencies that humans experience in western countries.

 

And cover the other nutrients through a simple multivitamin, b-complex, and diet.

 

I mean we need lists and scientific data, that show the most common deficiencies in western countries. As well as knowledge on which ones are hardest for the body to convert or digest, and likely to become deficient in.

 

The top deficiencies I think are common are:

 

B12

Magnesium

Iodine

 

The top deficiencies I think are uncommon are:

 

Calcium

 

 

I know the argument can be made that it all depends on the person individually. Their diet and such. I'm talking about finding the most common deficiencies among the population in western countries. This can be your anecdotal opinions from yours or others experiences. Or facts from scientific literature.

 

Some things like iron deficiency, I don't understand how it can be so common among people in western countries who eat meat. Unless it's taking into account 3rd world countries as well.

Edited by manny, 26 August 2014 - 05:56 AM.

[albedo]

I think Magnesium and Vitamin D are quite common, was my case at least for the former.

[gt35r]

Magnesium , Vitamin D, and possibly  Zinc. 

[Mr Serendipity]

Ok this 4th post will be reserved to create a list using user's suggestions.

 

Most common nutrient deficiencies:

 

Magnesium

B12

Iodine

Vitamin D

Zinc

[Area-1255]

Common Vitamin Deficiencies

-Vitamin D

-Vitamin E

-Vitamin K

 

Common Mineral Deficiencies

-Zinc

-Magnesium

-Boron, Vanadium

 

Common Amino Acid Deficiencies

-Lysine

-Serine

 

 

[Mr Serendipity]

According to this document, on page 8.

 

http://www.ars.usda....bles2001-02.pdf

 

The most common deficiencies in Americans are as followed:

 

Percentage is of the population.

 

93% - Vitamin E

56% - Magnesium

44% - Vitamin A

31% - Vitamin C

14% - Vitamin B6

12% - Zinc

8% - Folate

5% - Copper

5% - Phosphorus

5% - Thiamin

5% - Iron

3% - Protein

<3% - Carbohydrate 

<3% - Selenium

<3% - Niacin

<3% - Riboflavin

 

I didn't think Iron was going to be a big deficiency due to meat eaters in western countries, and this chart helps my case. But I'm very surprised on Vitamin E, A, and B6.

 

Anyone else know of data like this?

Edited by manny, 26 August 2014 - 04:14 PM.

[Darryl]

This paper is an update of the figures in Manny's link:

 

Fulgoni, V. L., Keast, D. R., Bailey, R. L., & Dwyer, J. (2011). Foods, fortificants, and supplements: Where do Americans get their nutrients?. The Journal of nutrition, 141(10), 1847-1854

 

Looking at the population consuming less than the estimated average requirement from foods (including fortification), but excluding supplements:

 

93.3% - Vitamin D (this requirement was set for people living at high latitudes in winter)

90.0% - Vitamin E (this is only for alpha-tocopherol - gamma T and others have some E activity)

54.5% - Magnesium

48.9% - Calcium (the high 1-1.1 g U.S. EAR is dairy lobby nonsense. You won't find adverse effects for populations getting at least 525 mg/d, so 600 mg is a more reasonable requirement)

45.1% - Vitamin A

37.0% - Vitamin C

31.1% - Vitamin K

12.3% - Vitamin B-6

10.7% - Folate

10.5% - Zinc

6.5% - Iron

5.9% - Thiamin

5.5% - Phosphorus

4.3% - Copper

3.2% - Vitamin B-12

2.4% - Potassium (AI)

2.1% - Riboflavin

1.7% - Niacin

0.9% - Selenium (U.S. has relatively high selenium soils, other parts of the world are much more likely to be deficient)

 

For most people, 10 minutes in low-latitude sunlight, a cup of kale, handful of nuts, and maybe some wheat germ would rectify most of these daily deficiencies. 

Edited by Darryl, 26 August 2014 - 09:30 PM.

[Mr Serendipity]

Good work Darryl. We need to find more literature on this subject.

 

 

Also eating animal liver should help correct most of the B deficiencies, iron, and definitely Vitamin A.

 

http://nutritiondata...products/4668/2

 

Eating it once a week should help.

 

 

[niner]

Thanks for those refs, guys. Iodine seems to have not made the cut on Fulgoni et al.'s list. I wonder why?

[Area-1255]

Thanks for those refs, guys. Iodine seems to have not made the cut on Fulgoni et al.'s list. I wonder why?

Probably because kelp supplements and eating seafood are becoming more common. You go to wegman's, look at how many people go to the Sushi bar. Also most multivitamins contain Iodine - although perhaps not the right form, not much is known about the bioavailability of it in those sups. I do believe that compared to royal atomized / deep earth iodine - it is quite inferior. Nothing compares to liquid crystallized iodine, the energy I got from those is unbelievable.

[niner]

Thanks for those refs, guys. Iodine seems to have not made the cut on Fulgoni et al.'s list. I wonder why?

Probably because kelp supplements and eating seafood are becoming more common. You go to wegman's, look at how many people go to the Sushi bar. Also most multivitamins contain Iodine - although perhaps not the right form, not much is known about the bioavailability of it in those sups. I do believe that compared to royal atomized / deep earth iodine - it is quite inferior. Nothing compares to liquid crystallized iodine, the energy I got from those is unbelievable.

But the paper excludes supplements. Kelp supplements might be more common than they used to be, but they are still incredibly rare when considering the entire population. Likewise with sushi. The iodine in multis is usually potassium iodide, and it is very bioavailable.

[Area-1255]

 

 

Thanks for those refs, guys. Iodine seems to have not made the cut on Fulgoni et al.'s list. I wonder why?

Probably because kelp supplements and eating seafood are becoming more common. You go to wegman's, look at how many people go to the Sushi bar. Also most multivitamins contain Iodine - although perhaps not the right form, not much is known about the bioavailability of it in those sups. I do believe that compared to royal atomized / deep earth iodine - it is quite inferior. Nothing compares to liquid crystallized iodine, the energy I got from those is unbelievable.

 

But the paper excludes supplements. Kelp supplements might be more common than they used to be, but they are still incredibly rare when considering the entire population. Likewise with sushi. The iodine in multis is usually potassium iodide, and it is very bioavailable.

 

It should be potassium iodide, but I've seen a lot of them that aren't. You do have a point though.

[Dorian Grey]

A great thread...  Supplement what is needed!  

 

Interesting Vitamin-E is one of the most common deficiencies and also most frequently getting hammered in the press by the anti-supplement crowd.  Early death from "all cause mortality", which presumably includes terrorist attack, plane crash and earthquake!  I'll keep taking my Natural-E with mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols, but will be on the lookout for lightning strikes.  

 

I expect the joker in the deck is iron, which comes in very handy for growing children and menstruating females, but tends to accumulate in adult males and senior females.  

 

 

[Mr Serendipity]

Thanks for those refs, guys. Iodine seems to have not made the cut on Fulgoni et al.'s list. I wonder why?

 

I think it's because of the ranges they use to class a deficiency.

 

For example B12 is quite low on the list, stating only 3.2% are deficient. However I've heard in America, 300 is considered the minimum range, while in Europe and Japan, 500 is. I believe way more people are deficient in B12 than 3.2%.

 

So they could be using such a low minimum range for iodine, that they don't consider it a deficiency until they go under that range.

[Mr Serendipity]

http://www.ars.usda....2000/000802.htm

 

Nearly two-fifths of the U.S. population may be flirting with marginal vitamin B12 status if the population of Framingham, Mass., is any indication.

 

A careful look at 3,000 men and women in the ongoing Framingham Offspring Study found 39 percent with plasma B12 levels in the “low normal” range--below 258 picomoles per liter.

 

 

 

So over 1/3 of people may be deficient in B12.

 

This study used Americans from Massachusetts btw, to keep in line with finding Western nutritional deficiencies.

Edited by manny, 29 August 2014 - 02:54 PM.

[Mr Serendipity]

Come on people. We need more data and personal experiences!

[Area-1255]

Come on people. We need more data and personal experiences!

Personal experience is I always benefit from Magnesium supplementation - it makes a huge difference.

Magnesium is hard to get from food as well...especially if you aren't a quarter pound of spinach a day.

[Dolph]

It depends on where you live!
In countries without folic acid fortification folic acid deficiency is certainly the most abundant. In Africa in many regions it's iron. In Germany magnesium deficiency is unheard of. And so on...

[airplanepeanuts]

 In Germany magnesium deficiency is unheard of. 

 

Not true: http://de.wikipedia....Magnesiummangel

[Dolph]

In Germany magnesium deficiency is unheard of.

 
Not true: http://de.wikipedia....Magnesiummangel

Let's say to be polite they just use "strange" sources in this wikipedia-article? (For what ever reason...)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3785176/

Edited by Dolph, 04 September 2014 - 07:24 PM.

[airplanepeanuts]

 

 

In Germany magnesium deficiency is unheard of.

 
Not true: http://de.wikipedia....Magnesiummangel

 

Let's say to be polite they just use "strange" sources in this wikipedia-article? (For what ever reason...)
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC3785176/

 

 

 

The supplement industry comes to mind.