Dueep Jyot Singh - Malnutrition and Nutrient Deficiency: Knowing more about Hidden Hunger

Healthy Learning Series

Dueep Jyot Singh

Mendon Cottage Books

JD-Biz Publishing

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The information is this book is provided forinformational purposes only. It is not intended to be used andmedical advice or a substitute for proper medical treatment by aqualified health care provider. The information is believed to beaccurate as presented based on research by the author.

The contents have not been evaluated by theU.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other Government or HealthOrganization and the contents in this book are not to be used totreat cure or prevent disease.

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Warning

The Book is for informational purposes onlyand before taking on any diet, treatment or medical procedure, itis recommended to consult with your primary health careprovider.

You consider yourself to be a very healthconscious person, eating the right foodstuffs, at the right time.However, you have been noticing of late that you get tired easily.You are pale, and feel that subject. You do not feel hungry, veryoften. You may also suffer from giddiness.

By evening, youre so tired that you haveabsolutely no patience and inclination to be nice to the rest ofthe family and you snap at them at the slightest procreation!Naturally the family is at a loss to understand your unusualbehavior.

On the other hand, lets take the example ofyour once happy go lucky teenager. One evening, while playingbasketball, she felt dizzy and fell down. Also, her grades whichwere quite good, in the past have started falling down becauseaccording to her she cannot concentrate. Her attention span hasshortened considerably. She is very easily distracted, much morethan what is normally in a normal teenager!

Both of these examples may be unrelated, butthe underlying reason for both of them is the same. You as well asyour teenager are suffering from what is normally called hiddenhunger.

This is not an eating disorder, which isself-inflicted, like bulimia or anorexia. This is micronutrientdeficiency. This is one of the most important and worrisome of allthe public health problems all over the world today. Did you knowthat 47% of the people, even in well-developed nations aresuffering from this micronutrient deficiency?

You may tell yourself, how can that be, youhave been eating well and you have been eating often. But what haveyou been eating? Processed foods? Foods which have been treated insuch a manner that all the micronutrients have been removedbeforehand, and other supporting additives being placed in thosefoods instead?

Many of the foods which we eat today arelacking in the essential minerals and vitamins, which are necessaryto keep the body functioning properly. These micronutrients includeiodine, zinc, iron, and vitamin A.

The quantity is astounding, but what about thequality?

Many of us can consider ourselves fortunate,because we have enough of money to eat whatever we want, wheneveryou want. Most of us usually indulge in overeating as far as foodis concerned. We are never hungry and therefore we assume that ourfood is adequate, even in terms of quality.

That is because we have loaded up our platesand filled our stomachs with all those foods which we like to eatfor breakfast, brunch, lunch, snacks, dinner, and everything elsein between. But here we didnt bother much to check about thequality of the food which we have been eating, even though thequantity is eye-catching!

Recent research has shown that twothousand million people across the world do not get enough ofiron from their food. 1000 million people do not get adequateiodine. Hundred million people have inadequate intake of vitaminA.

Iron, iodine, and vitamin A are the threeimportant nutrients that control the critical functions ofdevelopment, growth and the performance of all the systems in ourbody. These nutrients are required in very small amounts, -that iswhy there are called micronutrients-but they are necessary to keepyou healthy and fit.

Buying natural and organic foods means that youreless likely to suffer from a micronutrient deficiency.

All these cannot be obtained throughsupplements, and vitamins, however much the pharmaceuticalcompanies persuade you otherwise. They can only be taken directlythrough the food, and these natural forms of vitamins are going tobe assimilated directly in your system.

I know of a relative who has got into thehabit of eating vitamins and supplements, as a substitute fornatural meals. She says that is the way in which she is getting allher minerals and vitamins when she doesnt get from her normalmeals. Which, as I said before, she skips very often.

So the moment she skips her lunch, breakfast,or dinner shes going to pop three vitamins, four mineralsupplements, either in liquid form or in powdered form, and anylatest star endorsed product under any brand name, which is beenshowing ever so often on the TV today.

And shes happy that she is getting hernecessary daily quota of vitamins, minerals, proteins,carbohydrates, and essential nutrients.

Dont be like my aunt. Be sensible andremember that normal food, especially that which is natural,homegrown, garden grown, and definitely not processed is thehealthiest food available to you. It is going to have all theessential micronutrients which are going to keep your systemworking properly and in a healthy fashion.

An inadequate intake of all thesemicronutrients is going to affect all of us young and old seriously. When we are young, it is possible that we are not goingto see the immediate aftereffects of such a deficiency,immediately. But the cumulative effect is going to go on and on astime goes by, and as we get older.