{"id":1131,"date":"2014-10-03T11:42:19","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T18:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/?p=1131"},"modified":"2016-05-16T16:24:46","modified_gmt":"2016-05-16T23:24:46","slug":"dealing-micronutrient-inadequacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2014\/10\/03\/dealing-micronutrient-inadequacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Feelings of (Micronutrient) Inadequacy? Probably not."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"blonde-1031534_1920\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A surprising number of Americans fall short of vitamin and mineral\u00a0intake recommendations<\/a>, and will never know it.<\/p>\n

It’s a state we know as \u2018inadequacy\u2019\u2014insufficient micronutrient intakes for optimum health.<\/p>\n

It is really hard to know if you fall into this\u00a0category. Unlike true vitamin and mineral deficiencies, that manifest\u00a0as\u00a0diseases like rickets or pellagra, there is often no telltale sign of a micronutrient inadequacy\u00a0\u2013\u00a0many have non-specific symptoms or no symptoms at all.<\/p>\n

Yet the scientific evidence suggests inadequacies are\u00a0very real and have long-term consequences on our health and well-being.<\/p>\n

As an example, we turn to vitamin E inadequacy taking from LPI’s own Dr. Maret Traber\u00a0and her recent\u00a0review<\/a> on the subject.<\/p>\n

\n \"Maret\n
Maret Traber, PhD<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n

In contrast to severe vitamin E deficiency\u00a0that often shows in\u00a0neurologic symptoms, like poor\u00a0balance and coordination, nerve damage, muscle weakness, and damage to the eye,\u00a0marginal vitamin E status is difficult to define as it has effects on neurological function are often subtle. \u00a0This is because the increased amounts of inflammation, susceptibility to infection, and oxidative damage are not severe enough\u00a0to require hospitalization or specific enough to\u00a0point to\u00a0vitamin E as the only cause.<\/p>\n

In other words, since many things can cause these types of problems in the body, you’re more likely to look elsewhere besides the amount of vitamin E you’re eating.<\/p>\n

However, the consequences of inadequate vitamin E levels can be very real. Low vitamin E status has been implicated in an increased risk of cardiovascular\u00a0disease, macular degeneration, and complications from type II diabetes – but these can take a lifetime to develop.<\/p>\n

Vitamin E is also critical\u00a0in brain development<\/a>, and this should of\u00a0particular interest to expectant mothers.\u00a0When a pregnant woman has a\u00a0vitamin E inadequacy, the fetus bears the brunt of this low-vitamin status. Again, with deficiencies the consequences are\u00a0severe\u00a0\u2013 with\u00a0extremely\u00a0low vitamin E levels\u00a0the brain fails to develop and the fetus will not survive;\u00a0the mother may never know she was pregnant. But\u00a0milder cases vitamin E inadequacy in the mother, may allow the nervous system to\u00a0develop\u00a0with some abnormalities. Vitamin E inadequacy has also been implicated in low birth weight, as well as stunted growth and impaired cognitive function in infants.<\/p>\n

\"Pregnancy\"The effects of vitamin E inadequacy, however, are not restricted to fetal development and infancy. Many children are at risk for low vitamin E status, possibly resulting in various neurological disorders, anemia, and increased risk for infections. Moreover, adults with inadequate vitamin E status may be at increased risk for Alzheimer\u2019s disease or other age-related neurological and cognitive disorders.<\/p>\n

The good news is that vitamin E inadequacies can be prevented by consuming the recommended levels<\/a> of alpha-tocopherol (15 mg) each day in the form of nuts, seeds, and oils. However, this may not be an easy solution for some, as many Americans don’t get enough\u00a0vitamin E<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vitamin E is not a lone standout in our micronutrient inadequacies. The average American c\"brainonsumes less than the recommended value of four or more vitamins and minerals each day. Again, we never know there\u2019s a problem because symptoms of micronutrient inadequacies are mild or nonexistent, and the true effects of these inadequacies may not affect our lives until we are sick or older.<\/p>\n

This is why the Linus Pauling Institute recommends a daily multivitamin\/mineral supplement to ensure that you meet intake recommendations and increase your chance of a long and healthy life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  A surprising number of Americans fall short of vitamin and mineral\u00a0intake recommendations, and will never know it. It’s a state we know as \u2018inadequacy\u2019\u2014insufficient micronutrient intakes for optimum health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5337,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[159207],"tags":[582816,456678,44258,101481,582748],"class_list":["post-1131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-stories","tag-inadequacy","tag-maret-traber","tag-recommendations","tag-research-2","tag-vitamin-e"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1545,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2016\/03\/31\/nutrition-facts-label\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":0},"title":"Why the Nutrition Facts Label Can Lead You Astray","author":"Alexander Michels, PhD","date":"March 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"On the back of every cereal box, frozen dinner, condiment bottle, and any other packaged food, you will find the Nutrition Facts label. Introduced by the Food and Drug Administration over 25 years ago, the purpose of this labeling system is to help consumers make more informed food choices. Thus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Healthy Living Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Healthy Living Tips","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/healthy-living-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FDA Nutrition Facts Label 2006","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2016\/03\/FDA_Nutrition_Facts_Label_2006-522x1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":813,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2014\/02\/27\/micronutrients\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":1},"title":"What is a Micronutrient?","author":"Alexander Michels, PhD","date":"February 27, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The Linus Pauling Institute likes to use\u00a0the word micronutrient. This is not only because many world-renown authorities on micronutrients work at the LPI, but also because we maintain a database of scientifically accurate information regarding the roles of micronutrients in human health and disease, the Micronutrient Information Center (MIC). Exactly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask the Expert"","block_context":{"text":"Ask the Expert","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/ask-the-expert\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"micronutrient","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2013\/10\/micronutrient-300x187.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":955,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2014\/03\/04\/taking-multivitamins-still-good-idea\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":2},"title":"Taking multivitamins – still a good idea.","author":"Alexander Michels, PhD","date":"March 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A recent\u00a0report from the US Preventive Services Task Force in the Annals of Internal Medicine focused on the use of vitamin, mineral, or multivitamin supplements.\u00a0Their conclusions are that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the benefits and harms of these\u00a0supplements with respect to prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask the Expert"","block_context":{"text":"Ask the Expert","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/ask-the-expert\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Multivitamins","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2014\/03\/Multivitamins2.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1884,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2017\/01\/23\/vitamin-e-metabolic-syndrome\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":3},"title":"Millions of People with Metabolic Syndrome May Need More Vitamin E","author":"Anne Glausser","date":"January 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Research Also Uncovers a New, Better Way to Test for Vitamin E New research from Linus Pauling Institute Principal Investigator and\u00a0Ava Helen Pauling Professor\u00a0Maret Traber, Ph.D., has shown that people with metabolic syndrome need significantly more vitamin E \u2013 which could be a serious public health concern, in light of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nutrition"","block_context":{"text":"Nutrition","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/nutrition\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2017\/01\/5604663581_c38fdc245b_b-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":647,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2014\/01\/14\/keep-taking-your-vitamins\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":4},"title":"Keep Taking Your Vitamins","author":"freib","date":"January 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"An article by Paul Offit titled \u201cThe Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements\u201d\u00a0has been part of the media blitz surrounding so-called negative claims of vitamin and mineral supplements. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University has a different point of view - one that is based on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "LPI Take"","block_context":{"text":"LPI Take","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/lpi-take\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"multivitamins","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2014\/01\/multivitamins-300x140.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":785,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/2013\/10\/09\/opening-the-lines-of-communication\/","url_meta":{"origin":1131,"position":5},"title":"Opening the Lines of Communication","author":"Alexander Michels, PhD","date":"October 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Unusual for a scientist, Dr. Pauling was very outgoing and public-minded. At heart he was a humanitarian dedicated to reducing suffering in the world as best he could. He felt that it was the obligation of scientists to communicate directly to the public\u2014to make their knowledge and research accessible for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Feature Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Feature Stories","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/category\/feature-stories\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Linus Pauling, smiling.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/files\/2013\/05\/LP_portrait-217x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5337"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1131"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1677,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1131\/revisions\/1677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/linuspaulinginstitute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}