Micronutrients

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by the body in very small amounts. However, their impact on a body’s health are critical, and deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening conditions. They perform a range of functions, including enabling the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances needed for normal growth and development. Deficiencies in iron, vitamin A and iodine are the most common around the world, particularly in children and pregnant women. Low- and middle-income counties bear the disproportionate burden of micronutrient deficiencies.

Micronutrient deficiencies can cause visible and dangerous health conditions, but they can also lead to less clinically notable reductions in energy level, mental clarity and overall capacity. This can lead to reduced educational outcomes, reduced work productivity and increased risk from other diseases and health conditions. Many of these deficiencies are preventable through nutrition education and consumption of a healthy diet containing diverse foods, as well as food fortification and supplementation, where needed. These programmes have made great strides in reducing micronutrient deficiencies in recent decades but more efforts are needed.

Read more about micronutrient deficiency in below link:

https://ourworldindata.org/micronutrient-deficiency