New paper alert! Micronutrient deficiencies and health resilience in Europe

Micronutrient deficiencies are Europe’s invisible epidemic. Roughly 70% of people may be at risk, even with abundant food supplies and modern healthcare. These ‘hidden gaps’ quietly erode immunity, cognitive development, healthy ageing, productivity, and increase healthcare costs🏥

Our new paper in Frontiers in Nutrition examines why micronutrient insufficiencies remain under-recognized in public health policy and highlights how food supplements can strengthen resilience across the lifespan. Our review reveals important findings:

🍎 Insufficiencies and deficiencies in key vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, B-complex vitamins, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and iodine, persist – especially among vulnerable groups.
👩‍⚕️ Clinical training and policy often prioritize calories and macronutrients, overlooking the essential role of micronutrients.
💊 Food supplements offer a safe, cost-effective way to close these gaps, reduce chronic disease risk, support well-being, and ease healthcare burdens.
🏛️ Policies need to be more flexible and personalized to adapt to changing diets, lifestyles, and diverse needs across Europe to support optimal health.

At Bayer, tackling hidden hunger is at the center of our mission to improve lives. Guided by our vision of ‘Health for all, Hunger for none’, we advance precise, science-based supplementation strategies to ensure no one suffers from unseen nutritional gaps, contributing to healthier, more resilient individuals and communities.

🧾 You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e-f_3gct

I’m very grateful to my co-authors Sam Christie, David Crooks, Rowena Thomson- Selibowitz, and Ashley Green-Woolard, PhD, DABT, as well as Patrick Coppens and Monzer Alaily for helping to bring this research forward.

Kirsten Dautel Jenny Holmes Wanessa Ruiz, MD Gabriela Zuniga Vipin Babu, PhD Emily McAuliffe Jeff Donald Ricardo Salazar Sinan Yuksel Nicolas Mansali Marie Mongeot Caroline Shanas Julia McCalmont David Evendon-Challis

#micronutrients #hiddenhunger #nutritionpolicy #foodsupplements #publichealth