Revealed in Frontiers in Diet, the paper highlighted widespread insufficiencies for quite a few micronutrients together with nutritional vitamins A, D and B12, in addition to folate, iron, calcium, iodine, magnesium and zinc.
Nonetheless, the authors from the Council for Accountable Diet, Nestlé, Amway and Bayer mentioned that these dietary gaps had been under-recognized in public well being coverage and that dietary dietary supplements had been an underutilized software relating to filling these gaps.
“The principle takeaway from our overview is that micronutrient inadequacy is surprisingly frequent throughout Europe, even in high-income nations with well-stocked grocery store cabinets,” co-author Kostas Mantantzis, world medical enterprise lead at Bayer, informed NutraIngredients.
“What’s usually ignored is how meals dietary supplements might help bridge these gaps, supporting not simply particular person well being but in addition holding folks productive and healthcare prices down. The massive implication is that we have to rethink vitamin coverage and make dietary supplements a part of the general public well being dialog.”
What’s driving micronutrient deficiencies?
Low micronutrient consumption throughout the European inhabitants is the results of a large number of things. These embrace fashionable agricultural practices which have depleted vitamins in crops, the rise of comfort meals and an evolving meals panorama.
The report used vitamin D as a case research, highlighting that this deficiency impacts as much as 40% of the European inhabitants. Low vitamin D consumption, which is especially prevalent through the autumn and winter months, might improve the chance of fatigue, muscle aches, pains and weak spot, infections, rickets, osteoporosis, falls and fractures.
The authors highlighted that supplementation with vitamin D and calcium in adults with osteoporosis might forestall greater than half 1,000,000 fractures every year within the European Union alone and considerably scale back the chance of higher respiratory tract infections.
Supplementation with each vitamin D and calcium may subsequently assist to avoid wasting the EU round €5.7 billion yearly, the paper said, in addition to improve the productiveness of the workforce.
Meals Dietary supplements Europe, which partially funded the paper, mentioned these findings spotlight that meals dietary supplements are underrecognized in public well being, medical coaching and apply and that efforts ought to now be centered on elevating consciousness of their important position.
“A vital step ahead is elevating consciousness amongst healthcare professionals of the advantages meals dietary supplements can present,” Monzer Alaily, FSE’s coverage and communications supervisor, informed NI.
“Concretely, this implies many issues, starting from increasing the scope of vitamin in medical and dietetics curricula via facilitating significant dialogue between vitamin consultants and coverage makers and making certain higher recognition in public discourse that meals dietary supplements are a secure and efficient software to bridge nutrient hole,” he mentioned.
Mantantzis additionally highlighted the significance of conveying the message that there isn’t a silver bullet relating to dietary dietary supplements, and taking an individualized strategy will end in extra tangible well being advantages.
“Totally different folks want totally different vitamins, and at totally different ranges, to attain not simply primary well being however optimum well being,” he mentioned. “For instance, vitamin D is necessary for many Europeans, particularly in winter; iron may be notably essential for ladies and youngsters, and older adults usually want extra calcium and B12.”
He added: “Our overview actually highlights that optimum well being means tailoring vitamin and supplementation to particular person wants, life phases and existence. That’s why a personalised strategy is vital to closing dietary gaps and serving to folks thrive, not simply survive.”
The place subsequent?
Meals Dietary supplements Europe mentioned this publication serves as an necessary advocacy software on the EU and nationwide stage, and can assist to show to coverage makers and stakeholders that meals dietary supplements are a secure and cost-effective answer when correctly built-in into vitamin and public well being methods.
“FSE stresses that enhancing micronutrient consumption throughout all inhabitants teams will not be solely a public well being precedence in that it alleviates the burden on nationwide healthcare techniques but in addition an economically-sound funding,” Alaily mentioned.
“We assist a shift from a ‘minimal necessities’ strategy in direction of one which actively promotes well being resilience and wholesome ageing,” he added. “To this finish, FSE requires dietary steerage and well being methods that acknowledge the position of meals dietary supplements in supporting optimum well being outcomes throughout all phases of life and for all inhabitants teams.”
Mantantzis highlighted that academic methods can be key to creating large-scale change, in addition to coverage and tradition shifts.
“The largest roadblocks are schooling and consciousness,” he mentioned. “Most individuals, and even many medical doctors, don’t understand how frequent these gaps actually are. Diet recommendation continues to be caught on energy and macronutrients like carbs and protein, whereas micronutrients get sidelined. We have to flip the script: extra schooling, smarter insurance policies and a tradition that sees dietary supplements as a part of on a regular basis well being and a complement to a balanced life-style.”
Supply: Frontiers in Diet. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1686365. “Micronutrient inadequacy in Europe: the ignored position of meals dietary supplements in well being resilience”. Authors: S. Christie et al.
