Download App

Sensitive teeth

Fitness Pathology Wellness Preventive HealthCare Diet & Nutrition

Eating Yet Deficient – Are We Getting Adequate Nutrition from Our Food?

  • August 21, 2025
  • 6 Views
SHARE

Eating Yet Deficient – Are We Getting Adequate Nutrition from Our Food?

Imagine a sapling planted in rich soil. It is watered daily, its roots spread wide, and yet, without enough sunlight, it begins to wither. The leaves lose their sheen, the stem grows weak, and eventually, the plant struggles to survive.

Now, replace the sapling with us. Despite eating meals every day, millions of Indians are not truly nourished. The problem is not the quantity of food, but the quality of nutrition hidden within it.

Did you know that 7 out of 10 Indians could be vitamin deficient? A large-scale analysis by a preventive healthcare provider, covering nearly 1.5 million patients, revealed shocking patterns:

  • 81.28% were deficient in Vitamin D
  • 21.02% were deficient in Vitamin B12
  • 15.06% were deficient in Vitamin B9

This means that even though our plates are full, our bodies are quietly starving for the micronutrients that fuel growth, immunity, and energy.

The scale of this hidden crisis is staggering. In India alone, 490 million people are vitamin D deficient, with 31% being children and adolescents. Vitamin B12 deficiency shows up strongly among adolescents (31%) compared to pre-schoolers (13.8%) and school-aged children (17.3%).

And it doesn’t stop there. More than 80% of Indians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, weakening immunity and resilience. The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) paints an equally alarming picture: 67.1% of children and 59.1% of adolescent girls in India are anaemic. Shockingly, 3 in 4 Indian women consume inadequate dietary iron.

Much like the sapling without sunlight, we too are deprived of the invisible essentials that help us thrive. The food on our table may fill our stomachs, but is it truly nourishing our bodies?

Why Deficiencies Exist Despite Food Availability

It feels paradoxical. India, a land of vibrant cuisines, seasonal fruits, and cultural traditions around food, is simultaneously facing a silent epidemic of nutrient deficiency. How can a country that celebrates food at every festival have millions who are undernourished in micronutrients?

The answer lies in a combination of factors. Modern farming techniques have prioritized yield over nutrient density, leading to soil depletion that robs crops of essential vitamins and minerals. A tomato grown today does not have the same nutrient profile as one grown 50 years ago.

Urban lifestyles add another layer to this problem. The rush of everyday life means people often skip balanced meals, replacing them with refined, packaged, or convenience foods that are calorie-rich but nutrient-poor. Even traditional diets, once considered wholesome, have gradually lost variety. Lentils, millets, and fresh greens that once anchored Indian kitchens are now overshadowed by polished rice, wheat, and processed snacks.

Cultural practices and geography also play their part. For instance, Vitamin D deficiency is widespread because, despite abundant sunlight, long working hours indoors, pollution, and limited outdoor activity mean that our skin doesn’t synthesize enough of it. Similarly, Vitamin B12, which is primarily found in animal products, is low among the large vegetarian population of India.

In essence, the deficiency problem is not about food scarcity—it’s about a nutrition gap between what we eat and what our bodies actually need.

The Most Common Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies in India

When we peel back the layers of this nutrition gap, some deficiencies stand out more than others.

The most glaring is Vitamin D. Despite being called the “sunshine vitamin,” more than 81% of tested samples in India were deficient. Lack of Vitamin D not only weakens bones but also hampers immunity, increases fatigue, and has been linked to mood disorders.

Next is Vitamin B12, a key player in nerve function and red blood cell formation. With 1 in 5 Indians showing a deficiency, symptoms often go unnoticed until fatigue, tingling sensations, or memory issues become evident. Adolescents, in particular, carry a heavy burden, with deficiency rates as high as 31%.

Then comes Iron deficiency, the root cause of anaemia. It is most pronounced among women and children. According to NFHS-5, 67% of children and 59% of adolescent girls are anaemic, and nearly 75% of women consume less iron than their bodies require. This silent depletion leaves generations at risk of poor growth, weak immunity, and reduced productivity.

Other essential micronutrients, such as folate (Vitamin B9), zinc, and iodine, also show worrying deficiency rates. Together, they contribute to an invisible crisis where outwardly healthy individuals are, in fact, struggling with hidden malnutrition.

How to Bridge the Nutrition Gap

So, how do we break free from this invisible trap?

The first step is awareness. Recognising that eating enough does not always mean eating the right foods is crucial. People often believe that a full plate equates to a nourished body, but nutrition is about quality and balance, not just quantity.

A diet rich in diversity is essential. Reintroducing traditional grains like ragi, bajra, and jowar, adding seasonal vegetables, and ensuring a mix of legumes, nuts, and seeds can dramatically improve micronutrient intake. Fortified foods—such as milk fortified with Vitamin D or salt with iodine—are also effective public health strategies that bridge gaps on a larger scale.

For those with higher risks, especially vegetarians or women of reproductive age, targeted supplementation under medical guidance becomes vital. Vitamin D tablets, B12 injections, or iron-folic acid capsules can prevent long-term health risks when dietary intake falls short.

Equally important is lifestyle. Making time for sun exposure, regular physical activity, and reducing dependency on heavily processed foods can all help the body absorb and utilise nutrients better. Schools, workplaces, and communities can also play a role by promoting balanced eating habits and periodic health check-ups.

Most importantly, conversations around nutrition must shift. Instead of seeing it only as a matter of avoiding hunger, we need to view it as the foundation of energy, growth, and resilience.

A full plate does not always mean a nourished body. Just as a plant needs more than soil and water, we too need a delicate balance of vitamins and minerals to thrive. The current state of vitamin deficiencies in India is a wake-up call, reminding us that modern diets and lifestyles cannot replace nature’s essentials.

The good news? With conscious choices, preventive check-ups, and awareness, this hidden crisis can be reversed. By shifting our focus from merely eating to truly nourishing, we can ensure that future generations grow not just taller, but stronger, healthier, and more resilient.

After all, the sunlight a sapling missed cannot be reclaimed. But for us, the opportunity to restore balance and health is still within reach—if only we choose to act today.

 

Download App

Site by Intermind