Women, young and old, are worryingly short of nutrients

Nutritionist Micki Rose posted this alarming information on her blog recently.

Dietician Dr. Carrie Ruxton and researcher Dr. Emma Derbyshire of Manchester Metropolitan University have just completed a review of over 100 separate papers for the journal Nutrition Bulletin.  They found women, and girls especially, worryingly short of the nutrients needed for health. Here are the highlights:

• Half of all girls aged 11-18 years are short of magnesium
• 1 in 4 lack zinc
• 30% are short of potassium
• 16% are short of iodine
• and half lack iron.  

For women, it wasn’t much better:
• 20% of women aged 19-50 lack iron
• 11% are short of vitamin B2
• 80% of all women are short of vitamin D. 

They also found that 60% of over 65s (men and women) are short of vitamin D.

Er. Not good. Especially for the young women entering puberty when they need all their wits about them to cope. Magnesium, iron and zinc are vital at this age. 

The other major worry with this is that a staggering 80% (again, 80%!)  of all women and 60% of all over 65s are short in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a really major nutrient, not least because you need it to ensure bone density and immunity. (All those sunscreens blocking out your ability to make your own Vitamin D, or just because we live in northern climes? Either way I’m glad I started a trial taking it because I kept getting infections. Read here.)

Don’t take chances with your nutrient levels, they are too important. Sort your diet out and if you’re not sure, get a multi down you.

If you want to review what you might need a bit more closely, I can post or email you a questionnaire I then analyse which will give us clues to any imbalances from the symptoms you give. I can then advise how much you might need of each major nutrient and work that out by age for children and teenagers. I will simply charge for the time taken to analyse and report back to you with my advice. You can contact me through www.purehealthclinic.co.uk

Act now and avoid problems in future – especially PMS for young girls (lack of Mg and Zn), tiredness (lack of iron) and osteoporosis in future (Mg and Vit D).

First published August 2010

 

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