April 7, 2020

New Report: Nutrients Have Never Been So Essential

According to The Council for Responsible Nutrition UK (CRN UK), the ongoing threat of the Coronavirus could increase the potential for deficiencies in key micronutrients, supporting the immune system. This council represents the UK’s supplement industry and states, “Poor nutritional status is associated with impaired immune function in people of all ages, but particularly those over 60 years of age, so improved nutrition and micronutrient supplementation can help enhance immune responses.”

What is a nutrient deficiency?

We live in an increasingly polluted environment, loaded with toxins; the soil we grow our food in is often nutrient-depleted and many consume processed, factory-made foods supplying scant nutrients. Ironically, our bodies wind up requiring even more vitamins and minerals to effectively metabolize nutrient-depleted foods. Add that depletion with less time spent outdoors, minimal exercise, prescription drugs and medications, and chronic stress, and the result is that many individuals are truly nutritionally deficient.

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According to a recent USDA survey (before COVID-19), 37% of Americans do not get enough Vitamin C, 70% do not get enough Vitamin E, nearly 75% do not get enough Zinc, and 40% do not get enough Iron.

Nutritional Recommendations by BDA

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) echoes the advice of the CRN, encouraging a healthy balanced diet that includes copper, folate, iron, selenium, zinc and vitamins A, B6, B12, C and D in order to support immune function.

Vitamin D is one of the most important, with the BDA advising those who have to self-isolate or unable to go outside, to consider taking a daily supplement “containing 10 micrograms of Vitamin D”. Vitamin D-rich foods include oily fish, cod liver, infant formula and yogurts.

Also noted by the CRNUK in a published article on NutraIngredients website:

Evidence that poor mental health and nutritional deficiencies are caused by inflammation in the brain, with possible origins in the gut
Further research points to supplements such as zinc, magnesium, omega-3, and vitamins B and D3 to “improve a person’s mood, relieve anxiety and depression”
A daily magnesium citrate supplement led to an improvement in “depression and anxiety”
Omega-3 fatty acids support proper central nervous system development and function

Nutritional Recommendations by WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued nutritional guidelines during this unprecedented scale of the situation:

Good nutrition is crucial particularly in times when the immune system might need to fight back.”
Along with limited salt, sugar and fat intake, WHO recommends consuming enough fiber, to support a healthy digestive system and offer prolong feelings of fullness (to prevent over eating)