Symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies in Indian women and top 4 health problems they experience

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals needed by our body in very small amounts. However, they play a critical role in maintaining our overall health. Deficiency in any of them can cause severe and even life-threatening health issues. Micronutrient deficiencies are very common, especially in women, who feel they will be able to meet their micronutrient requirement through daily diet. There are some common nutrient deficiencies that affect most people, such as Vitamin D, B12, A as well as iron and calcium.

Top 4 health problems Indian women suffer

At a recent event by Haleon, a multinational consumer healthcare company, the findings of a recent survey by KANTAR were presented to shed light on the main nutrition-led health problems that Indian women experience.

The survey reached out to more than 1200 female respondents from key metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata) to study their nutrition needs across life stages from 2- 65 years.

As per the survey, on an average, women experience 3 health concerns at a time. Top 4 health concerns among Indian women include:

• Low immunity
• Low energy
• Bone and joint health
• Digestive health

Other health issues which are higher among women vs. men include weight management, healthy appearance, sleeplessness and diabetes. Many of these health problems are preventable through nutrition education, consumption of a healthy diet as well as food fortification and supplementation, where needed.

Signs and symptoms of micronutrient deficiency

Micronutrients contribute towards overall health. Dr. Rishma Dhillon Pai, Consultant Gynaecologist at Lilavati, Jaslok and Hinduja Healthcare Hospital, Mumbai, and Past President- Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), shared with Etimes Lifestyle the many “lighter or milder symptoms of micronutrient deficiencies which you should be conscious of.” These include:

• A feeling of fatigue
• Weakness
• Lack of energy
• Lack of concentration
• Falling sick all the time
• Being more prone to diseases
• Breathlessness after climbing a flight of stairs
• Anemic (when blood doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells)
• Fracture your arm or head after small fall
• Hair fall
• Looking pale
• Being colorblind (vitamin A deficiency)

Micronutrient deficiencies are also linked with poor pregnancy outcomes. “If a pregnant woman is low on folic acid, she can actually have a baby who is having severe defects in their body, like the absence of a skull sometimes or spinal cord defects, etc.,” Dr. Pai added.

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Consult your doctor before using supplements

There have been several case studies in which people get unwell due to over supplementation, as in most cases, they are consuming supplements without consulting their doctor.

“We prefer that a doctor guides you as to what you particularly require. At every stage of your life, there are different requirements. Like if a girl is menstruating, she is losing a lot of blood so she needs more iron maybe. But when you are older, you stop bleeding, but your requirement of calcium increases because your bones are becoming very weak,” Dr. Pai signs off.