July 11, 2026Wellness

Alarming stage of Multivitamin deficiency

Vitamin deficiency gradually happens with age and the symptoms are not seen all of a sudden. Although micronutrient deficiencies cause visible as well

What are micronutrients and why are they important?

Vitamins fall under the broad term of micronutrients needed by our body in small amounts which are quintessential for production of enzymes, regulation of metabolism, structure and functioning for bone and teeth, strengthening immunity, growth, support and maintenance of tissue function. Compared to macronutrients, these are required in smaller amounts and hence this name. Our bodies cannot produce vitamins and minerals, so they are also referred to as essential nutrients whose needs are mainly fulfilled through nutritional supplements.

Why are micronutrients important for our health?

These micronutrients play a prominent role in our body performing a variety of physiological functions such as production of enzymes, hormones, and other essential substances needed for normal growth and development. However, one should consult their doctor or dietician for the dosage as both excess or deficiencies of micronutrients can have severe effects on the body.

What are the key micro-nutrients Indians are deficient in?

Micronutrient deficiencies are very common and a predominant global concern. A key reason for this is the lack of proper intake of nutrients like zinc, iron, vitamin A, folate, iodine, with its own set of public health consequences. Considering deficiencies in micronutrients, iron, iodine and Vitamin A deficiency is very common. Even with technological and scientific advancement, the burden of micronutrient deficiency is omnipresent (Espinosa-Salas & Gonzalez-Arias, 2023).

Why do we need multivitamin supplements?

We often wonder if we are getting all our micronutrients through our diet, but the reality is that it depends a lot on the type of lifestyle we live and the kind of food we prefer to eat. Although we receive the majority of the micronutrients through a standard healthy diet rich in whole foods, external supplementation is required for some of them. For eg: If we follow a vegan diet which is very common nowadays, then there is a high chance of us being deficient in Vit B12, omega 3 fatty acids or iron. It also depends on co-relating factors like age and geographical location. For eg: a study has shown that 49% of girls between the ages of 11 and 18 are deficient in iron putting them at a risk of iron deficiency anaemia.

Role of different micronutrients in our body

As mentioned, vitamins are a specific group of organic compounds essential for our body which can be further categorized into water- soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. There are total 13 essential vitamins out of which 4 i.e. Vitamin A,D,E,K are fat soluble and 9 are water soluble. Each of these vitamins have a crucial role in the functioning of our body,

Vitamin A plays an important role in the differentiation as well as proliferation of epithelial cells in our eyes, salivary glands, genito-urinary tract.
Similarly, Vitamin D’s main work is to increase plasma calcium and phosphate levels important for bone health aiding in mineralization of osteoids. It is usually received through a variety of ways like our normal food, sun exposure, nutritional supplements.
Vitamin E inhibits lipid peroxidation thus protecting polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidative destruction helping in maintaining membrane fluidity as well as stability (Reddy & Jialal, 2022).

Current scenario of Vitamin deficiency

Vitamin deficiency gradually happens with age and the symptoms are not seen all of a sudden. Although micronutrient deficiencies cause visible as well as serious health conditions, some invisible signs and symptoms include notable reduction in energy levels, mental clarity as well as loss of overall capacity due to lack of our daily vitamins. Other symptoms include diabetes, vague joint pain, fatigue, constant tiredness, and in some people, depression (Barker, 2023).

According to a local survey conducted by a multinational diagnostic center chain based on study on Vitamin D, B9 and B12, vitamin deficiency has been prominent with almost 75% of the Indian population showing alarming levels of Vitamin deficiency. Although vitamin deficiency is a global concern, low as well as middle income countries face the disproportionate burden of micronutrient deficiencies. (World Health Organization, 2024).

Research evidence on alarming Vitamin deficiency in India:

According to doctors, Indians have been ignorant towards their health mainly due to increased healthcare costs and lack of information. Each micronutrient deficiency has its own set of warning signs for eg Vitamin D deficiency is characterized by reduced calcium as well as phosphorous absorption by the intestines leading to hypocalcemia, secondary hyper-para-thyroidism. In current times, vitamin D deficiency occurs due to limited sunshine exposure especially for people with desk jobs. According to another study, Vitamin D and B12 deficiency have been found to be prominent in majority of the population and studies have reported a deficiency percentage ranging from 20 to as high as 80 in both the micronutrients (Ghonge et al., 2025). Vit A deficiency is currently the leading cause of preventable diseases across the globe mainly affecting children as well as pregnant women causing increased infection risk, night blindness and excessive keratin buildup of the skin. Relevant interventions have helped Indians to suffice the deficiency in vitamins. This includes dietary supplementation, minimum 30 mins exposure to medium intensity sunlight, consumption of iron rich food in women, reducing amount of phalate rich food, following a healthy and conscious lifestyle.

References

Barker, T. (2023). Vitamins and Human Health: Systematic Reviews and Original Research. Nutrients, 15(13), 2888–2888. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15132888

Espinosa-Salas, S., & Gonzalez-Arias, M. (2023, September 21). Nutrition: Micronutrient Intake, Imbalances, and Interventions. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597352/

Ghonge, S., Rathod, H., Banerjee, A., Chauhan, S., Baxi, T., Palal, D., Bhawalkar, J., & Vajjala, S. M. (2025). Prevalence of deficiencies of serum vitamin D3 and vitamin B12 among urban and rural population in and around Pune, India: An observational study. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 14(4), 1231–1237. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1511_24

Reddy, P., & Jialal, I. (2022, September 19). Biochemistry, vitamin, fat soluble. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534869/

Venkatesh, U., Sharma, A., Ananthan, V. A., Subbiah, P., & Durga, R. (2021). Micronutrient’s deficiency in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Nutritional Science, 10. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2021.102

World Health Organization. (2024). Micronutrients. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/micronutrients#tab=tab_1

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