The UK Food Scandal...it¹s official....

Unless you are among the very few who grow their own or use organically grown food, the sad truth is that, you and all your family probably need vitamin and mineral supplements to make good the deficiencies in the food you buy. (The Fruit's Not What It Used To Be, Sunday Times 8th Feb 2004) and (McCance & Widdowson's Composition of Foods ISBN 0854044280...compare 1950 publication with recent analyses)

The problem is often compounded by the common dietary imbalances among schoolchildren and the elderly due to poor variety in their diet, excessive use of convenience snacks, sweets and biscuits, and depletion during cooking. Whatever the reasons are behind this scandal, the fact is, that in an advanced, rich, nation a large proportion of the population are suffering a low grade chronic "sub-nutrition" and an alarming proportion mal-nutrition, with regard to specific essential nutrients.

The government body MAFF published the results of its dietary and nutritional survey in 1994, some of the major findings are shown below. (Dietary & Nutritional Survey MAFF 1994 ISBN 0116913002 et alia.)

Despite the seriousness of these findings, impacting on the nation's health, little public debate or discussion has arisen from this landmark investigation. Summarising

Women 90% are deficient in Potassium and Iron, over 25% seriously deficient. About 50% are deficient in Magnesium, Copper, Calcium and B Vitamin. 30% are deficient in Iodine, Vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin A.

Men 25% are deficient in Potassium and Iron Under Four-year Olds Over a third are deficient in five or six essential nutirents, and a serious deficiency in Zinc.

Late Teenage Girls 90% are deficient in potassium, Iron and Magnesium, with 10-40% seriously deficient. 70% have low Calcium levels ( 27% seriously low ) Half have low folic acid levels (a deficiency known to cause birth defects) Over a third have further deficiencies in Zinc Iodine and Riboflavin.

Poor Nutrition of Children in the UK

The above statistics relate to adults, however these shocking figures are as bad, if not worse, amongst our children.

Of under four year-olds and the following deficiencies were revealed : 89 per cent had lower zinc levels (37 per cent serious deficiency) 57 per cent had low iron levels 46 per cent had a low iodine levels 34 per cent had low magnesium and the vitamin C A levels 24 per cent had low calcium levels.

Of late teenage girls (16 - 18 year olds) many serious deficiencies were revealed: 96 per cent had a low potassium levels (39 per cent seriously low) 93 per cent had a low iron levels ( 33 per cent seriously low) 89 per cent had a low magnesium levels (certain 9% seriously low) 71 per cent had low calcium levels (27 per cent seriously low) 50 per cent had low of folic acid levels (known it to be a risk factor in birth defects) 37 per cent had low riboflavin levels, similar deficiencies were found with their zinc and iodine.

SUMMARY

Summarising this catalogue of nutritional deprivation; over a third of our under four year-olds are deficient in five or six essential nutrients, and to all intents and purposes all teenage girls (16 - 18) have a dietary deficiency of four or more essential nutrients, and over a third have a serious and dietary deficiency problem with three or four vital nutrients.