Nutritional Deficiencies - They Are More Common Than Most People Believe

The research has shown that few of us eat very well, and nutritional deficiencies are very common. This is especially a problem for the elderly and hospitalized patients. Even many supposedly "normal" people have been found to be nutritionally deficient. For example, in a 30-month study of 800 patients in two U.S. hospitals, who were admitted for conditions not normally associated with malnutrition (pneumonia, hip fracture, etc.), blood tests found 55% to be malnourished. The malnourished surgical patients stayed in the hospital an average of five days longer than the adequately nourished patients.

In a study of 402 elderly Europeans living at home, the nutrient content of their diet was found to be low: folic acid intake was low in 100% of those studied, zinc in 87%, vitamin B6 in 83%, and vitamin D in 62%.

Next Topic: Frequency of specific nutrient deficiencies and the more common symptoms and diseases that are caused by these deficiencies

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