Do you think you will have a hunger problem?
You may not think that 300 million Chinese are suffering from “hidden hunger”, and 2 billion people around the world are in a state of “hidden hunger”. You may be one of them. [1][2]
What? Obviously I don’t want to eat every day, and even gain weight accidentally, how can I still be “hungry”?
Hunger is not only manifest hunger due to insufficient energy and macronutrient intake, but also due to nutritional imbalance or lack of vitamins, essential minerals , resulting in “hidden hunger”. In short, eating when you are full does not necessarily mean eating right, eating well.
People who are “hiddenly hungry” tend to appear healthy, with neither weight loss nor a visibly thin body. But the health risks behind it are also not to be underestimated. Studies have found that many chronic diseases may be related to “hidden hunger”, such as obesity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and decreased vision. “Hidden hunger” may also be related to decreased immunity.
Hidden hunger may be affecting your health before you know it.
These vitamins and minerals
Most Chinese are under-consumed
Not getting enough vitamins has always been a big problem.
A survey from 1989 to 2015 found that Chinese residents’ intake of vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin C, and vitamin E all decreased. [3]
And with it comes the risk of insufficient intake. Among them, more than 87% of adults were at risk of insufficient vitamin B2 intake in 2015.
Note: In 2015, the proportion of people at risk of insufficient intake of vitamin A, vitamin B1, and vitamin C also exceeded 50%.
Meanwhile, inadequate mineral intake also exists.
Although the slogan of “Calcium Supplement” has been shouted for many years, most people still do not eat enough calcium. From 2015 to 2017, 97.2% of the residents in China were still at risk of insufficient dietary calcium intake. [4]
However, the problem of “zinc deficiency” and “iron deficiency” is much better. From 2015 to 2017, the dietary zinc intake of 44.5% of the residents reached or exceeded the recommended intake, and the dietary iron intake of 70.8% of the population reached or exceeded the intake.
All in all, the problem of insufficient dietary micronutrient intake is still a serious problem among Chinese residents.
Where did the notch come from? Mainly it’s not eating right
Why not?
The root cause,is that some vitamins and minerals cannot be synthesized by the human body, or are not synthesized enough, and can only be supplemented through a continuous balanced diet.
But because they are present in low amounts in the human body, deficiencies tend to appear slowly and easily go unnoticed. But in fact, micronutrients, like macronutrients, are key nutrients for maintaining normal metabolism and immune health in the human body, no matter which one is indispensable.
Vitamin deficiency can cause many problems. For example, a lack of vitamin A can lead to night blindness and dry eye. In addition, it can also lead to dry skin and compromised immune health. A deficiency of vitamin B1 can lead to beriberi, and a deficiency of vitamin B2 can cause problems such as non-fatal but annoying angular stomatitis.
Mineral deficiencies can also be problematic. For example, iron deficiency may lead to iron-deficiency anemia, making people pale, weak and fatigued. In severe cases, it may cause problems such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, and tachycardia. The most direct symptom of calcium deficiency is muscle spasm, also known as cramps. Long-term calcium deficiency can also lead to osteoporosis. By the way, calcium deficiency may also stimulate fat growth and inhibit fat breakdown. In short, calcium deficiency may lead to obesity.
Picture Source | Picture Worm
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also affect each other.
Vitamin C can promote the absorption of iron, and its deficiency, in turn, will affect the absorption of iron. A high risk of iron deficiency can even make anemia symptoms worse.
Vitamin D deficiency can also seriously affect the absorption of calcium. If you’re severely deficient in vitamin D, your body won’t be able to absorb enough calcium, even if you’re getting enough calcium.
These vitamins and mineralsdeficiencies are a interaction relationship, as much If there is a gap in the bucket, even if a piece of wood is filled, the remaining rotten wood may still lose nutrients.
Image source: self-made｜For reference only
And nutritional deficiencies can lead to more serious problems. Multivitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, C, E, B6, and the minerals zinc, iron, copper, and selenium, all contribute to immune health > has a pivotal role. Insufficient nutrient intake can affect the immune response, making us more vulnerable to other diseases. [5]
A rich variety of vitamins and minerals is important, from the physical basis of the immune system to its functioning. The synergistic effect of a variety of key nutrients creates the normal functioning of the human body.
A balanced and adequate nutritional intake can build a healthy human body. Just like a tall building rising from the ground, it needs the support of different structures. The lack of many or some of vitamins and minerals is like pulling out the load-bearing pillars at key positions, which will affect the balance of the entire building, and even a small wind can easily scrape it. fall.
So, Why are we micronutrient deficient?
Not eating enough variety and nutrients is one reason.
A balanced diet is an important way to get a variety of vitamins and minerals, but many people eat A balanced diet is even less healthy – either a single takeout meal or a snack for food. Extremely unbalanced dietary structure can easily lead to a lack of micronutrients: If you don’t eat dark fruits and vegetables and animal liver, your intake of VA may be insufficient; If it is too fine, it may lead to insufficient intake of VB1; if you do not drink milk, it is easy to have insufficient calcium intake…
Looking back at your meal structure in the past week, how many pits have you stepped on? Therefore, the supplementation of micronutrients must be put on the agenda.
Establish a scientific dietary structure and eat right to make up for it
Actually, “eating right” is enough for most people. Most people don’t get to the point of severe deficiency, they just don’t get enough. By establishing a balanced diet, the problem can be solved.
The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents specifically emphasizes: “Balanced diet can improve immunity”, “Rational diet is the foundation of strong immune system”. Sufficient energy and well-designed balanced nutrition are the basis for keeping the immune system alive and fighting ability. “[6]
So, what makes a balanced meal?
Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends “food variety and reasonable mix”. At the same time, it is recommended that the daily diet should include cereals, potatoes, vegetables and fruits, livestock, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, and soy foods. In addition, the average daily intake of 12 kinds or more of food, and 25 kinds or more per week, is reasonable.
Photo source | “Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)”
But for ordinary people without professional nutrition knowledge, what kind of food has the right nutritional content and how to match it is reasonable, and what to choose from the 25 kinds is “I understand the truth. , but I just can’t!” And the rainbow nutrition principle advocated by Shancun can help you quantify and intuitively establish a scientific balanced diet concept.
The balanced diet advocated by
Rainbow Nutrition Principle not only pays attention to the intake of common carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients, but also pays attention to Get a rainbow of varietyvitamins and minerals. A balanced intake of variety of vitamins and minerals allows us to support our overall body functions. The synergistic effect of various nutrients can build our immune health, making the whole “body building” stable and stable, and the wind will not fall down.
Rainbow Nutrition Principles quantifies and visualizes the scientific balanced diet so that ordinary people can practice more conveniently and build their own a balanced meal structure.
The
Rainbow Nutrition Principle responds to the concept of “variety, rich colors, and balanced proportions” advocated by the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, advocating
Rainbow Nutrition Principles also finely divided the population, giving corresponding vitamins and minerals to those aged 4 to 80 years old > Nutritional supplement advice. In addition, the Rainbow Nutrition Principles also provide customized dietary recommendations that meet gender characteristics and physical needs of different age groups for different nutritional problems faced by different groups of men and women, helping a wide range of people from diet to health Lay the foundation.