Indians of all age groups are deficient in iron, calcium and folate, which are essential for health.

According to the researchers, who published their findings in The Lancet, people in India are consuming inadequate amounts of iron, calcium and folate.

After studying the dietary intake of people across 185 countries, the study found that billions of people around the world suffer from deficiencies of 15 essential micronutrients without supplements.

More than five billion people around the world do not consume iodine, vitamin E and calcium.

The team found that in India, women have inadequate intake of iodine compared to men, and men have inadequate intake of zinc and magnesium compared to women.

Men and women aged 10–30 years were most vulnerable to low calcium intakes, particularly in South Asia, South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

The study, by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, UC Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), found that micronutrient deficiencies are one of the most common forms of malnutrition globally.

“Each deficiency has its own health consequences, ranging from adverse pregnancy outcomes to blindness and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases,” the researchers said.

Chris Free, co-lead author of the study and research professor at UCSB, said this study is a major step forward because it is the first to estimate inadequate micronutrient intakes for 34 groups by age and sex in nearly every country, and it makes these methods and results easily accessible to researchers and clinicians.

More than half of the world’s population has inadequate intakes of riboflavin, folate, and vitamins C and B6. Niacin intake was closest to adequate, with 22% of the global population consuming inadequate levels, followed by thiamine (30%) and selenium (37%).

The researchers found that micronutrient deficiencies differed by gender. They also found that the risk of calcium deficiency was particularly high among men and women aged 10-30 years, particularly in South and East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition, low calcium intake was also found in North America, Europe and Central Asia.

In India, inadequate intakes of riboflavin, folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 were found to be particularly high.

The authors said the study did not take into account fortified foods or supplements. Therefore, the results may be an overestimate of some key nutrients in certain places where people consume higher amounts of fortified foods and supplements.

(With inputs from PTI)