Dietary shortages of essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A and iron may be keeping as many as a third of the world's people from reaching their full potential, according to researchers. "Resources and technology to bring vitamin and mineral deficiencies under control do exist. What we need is the will, the effort and the action to fix this problem," said Venkatesh Mannar of the Ottawa-based Micronutrient Initiative, which co-funded studies with the U.N. children's agency UNICEF. Nutritionists agree that this worldwide crisis can be remedied in great measure by increasing consumption of vegetables. Vegetables are the most affordable and sustainable dietary sources of vitamins and other micronutrients in diets.
The lack of vegetables in diets can trigger medical problems including anemia and blindness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and needlessly raises a child's risk of severe illness and death from infection. United Nations researchers at the conference reported that VAD compromises the immune system of 40 percent of children in developing countries. Even though you may be following a healthy diet, you’ll still need to take vitamins and supplements. No matter how healthy you eat, you should still use the right vitamins and supplements to give your body what it needs.
Vitamins are a great back up source, as they will provide your body with the minerals and nutrients it needs in the event of your diet failing you. To remain healthy and keep your body operating as it should, you’ll need to invest in vitamins and supplements. You can find them online or at local nutrition stores, many of which won’t cost you much money at all. No matter what your age may be, you’ll need to ensure that you are eating the right foods and taking the right foods. Keep in mind that you should never replace food with vitamins, as they are more less meant to give you additional nutrients and minerals. For what you spend in vitamins and supplements, you’ll be keeping your body healthy - and preventing a deficiency in vitamins.