Micronutrients are essential for growth and development in terms of physical strength, stature, intelligence, improving health, and enhancing the body’s resistance.
Therefore, enhancing micronutrient supplementation is important for improving both physical and mental capacities.
Children aged 6-35 months need to be supplemented with vitamin A twice a year. (Photo: Minh Quyet/TTXVN).
What are Micronutrients?
Micronutrients are substances that the body only needs in very small amounts but play a very important role; deficiency can lead to serious effects on the body.
These include various vitamins (A, B, C, D, E…) and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper…). They are crucial for energy production, enhancing immunity, and strengthening bone health, necessary for growth and other processes.
Most micronutrients participate in the body’s metabolic activities. Notably, some act as antioxidants to protect against cellular damage associated with cardiovascular diseases, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and more.
The Role of Micronutrients
Our bodies cannot synthesize micronutrients but sources of micronutrients are readily available in nature, including both animal and plant foods. Therefore, we can enhance micronutrient intake through foods rich in micronutrients in our daily meals.
Although the amount of micronutrients the body needs is not large, their deficiency can significantly affect physical and mental health. Specifically, iron helps the brain develop and boosts the immune system. Iron deficiency can lead to poor appetite in children, reduced intelligence quotient, and diminished work and learning capacity.
Deficiency of micronutrients can lead to serious effects on the body, especially in young children. (Photo: Minh Quyet/TTXVN)
Zinc is a vital factor in the digestive system and immune system; zinc deficiency can hinder height growth, lead to poor appetite, and increase susceptibility to infections.
Meanwhile, vitamin A plays an essential role in the development of the eyes and skin. Children lacking vitamin A are more prone to infections and may have poor eyesight; women deficient in vitamin A are at risk of giving birth to premature or low-birth-weight infants.
According to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 30% of women and 40% of children globally suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. This rate is significantly higher in children from African countries, exceeding 60%. The prevalence of vitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiency is quite common in poor and developing countries, including Vietnam.
A survey by the National Institute of Nutrition in 2019-2020 found that up to 60% of children under 5 years old in Vietnam are zinc deficient, and 1 in 3 children is iron deficient. Notably, children with iron deficiency often also have zinc deficiency.
The rate of subclinical vitamin A deficiency (deficiency without disease symptoms) in children under 5 years old is 9.5%. Anemia in children under 5 years old is at 19.6%, while the rate is 25.6% for pregnant women. Zinc deficiency affects 63.5% of pregnant women and 58% of children under 5 years old.
Currently, Vietnam faces three nutritional burdens: the coexistence of undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overweight obesity. The causes include unreasonable dietary habits (high meat consumption and low fruit and vegetable intake) and a lack of physical activity.
How to Properly Supplement Micronutrients?
According to experts, to prevent and combat micronutrient deficiencies, alongside short-term solutions such as taking micronutrient supplements (like high-dose vitamin A capsules, multivitamin tablets…); a medium-term solution involves using fortified foods, while the long-term and fundamental solution is to improve meal quality.
Workers’ meal. (Photo: Dai Nghia/TTXVN).
Therefore, it is necessary to actively diversify and combine various food types for daily meals; prioritize the selection and use of foods rich in micronutrients.
The Ministry of Health also provides several recommendations to prevent and combat micronutrient deficiencies.
- Breastfeed infants within 1 hour after birth. Exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months; continue breastfeeding until 24 months or longer.
- Use locally available foods rich in micronutrients for children’s daily supplementary meals; add fats or cooking oils to enhance the absorption of vitamin A and fat-soluble vitamins.
- Children aged 6 months to 5 years should receive vitamin A supplements twice a year according to the guidance of health stations.
- Children aged 24-59 months need to take deworming medication regularly twice a year; practice food hygiene, personal hygiene, and environmental hygiene to prevent worm infections.
- Women of childbearing age and pregnant women should take iron, folic acid, or multivitamin tablets as advised.
- Additionally, daily exposure to sunlight in the correct manner to prevent vitamin D deficiency and ensuring food safety also contribute to preventing micronutrient deficiencies.
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