While vitamin deficiency is not uncommon, it can actually have more implications for your health than you realize. According to Verywell Health, vitamin deficiencies can produce various symptoms, including fatigue, irritability, and hair and skin changes. Complications can be even more dangerous, leading to vision or memory loss, rapid heart rate, and behavioral changes, among other conditions. So, if you haven't ever been tested for deficiencies, it might be worth it to make an appointment—especially considering recently published data. According to a new study, 60 percent of the world's population is deficient in four key vitamins.
The study, published Aug. 29 in The Lancet Global Health, evaluated whether people's intake of micronutrients meets health requirements, also comparing inadequacies between males and females. Investigators used statistical models and data from the Global Dietary Database, which outlines the median intakes of 15 different micronutrients among different age-sex groups in 185 countries. They were then able to estimate the micronutrient levels for 93.3 percent of the global population.
“Our study is a big step forward,” co-lead author Chris Free, research professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, said in a press release outlining study findings. “Not only because it is the first to estimate inadequate micronutrient intakes for 34 age-sex groups in nearly every country, but also because it makes these methods and results easily accessible to researchers and practitioners.”
However, while the study has provided new insights, investigators say the fact that so many people lack certain micronutrients is also cause for concern.
“These results are alarming,” Ty Beal, senior technical specialist at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), said in a press release. “Most people—even more than previously thought, across all regions and countries of all incomes—are not consuming enough of multiple essential micronutrients. These gaps compromise health outcomes and limit human potential on a global scale.”
Read on to find out which specific vitamins were missing the most often.
RELATED: 16 Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms to Watch Out For, According to Doctors.
1. Iodine
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According to study findings, over 5 billion people across the world (68 percent of the population) don't consume enough iodine, with women more likely than men to be deficient.
Per the study, iodine is "essential for pregnant and breastfeeding women because of its role in fetal and child cognitive development."
2. Vitamin E
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The next most common vitamin deficiency was vitamin E. According to study findings, 67 percent of the global population is lacking enough of this micronutrient.
In addition to having antioxidant properties, vitamin E is important for vision, reproduction, and blood, brain, and skin health, per Mayo Clinic.
RELATED: Folate Deficiency: 5 Signs You're Not Getting Enough Vitamin B9.
3. Calcium
5 | MedicationiStockApproximately 66 percent of the population is deficient in the micronutrient essential to strong bones: calcium.
Inadequacy was highest in countries in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and East Asia and the Pacific, study authors noted. It was particularly high among people between the ages of 10 and 30.
4. Vitamin C
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Last up on this list is vitamin C, with 53 percent of the population not getting enough.
According to Mayo Clinic, vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is needed to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones. Like vitamin E, it's also an antioxidant, and aids in your body's healing process.
