Why do we eat enough meals but still lack nutrients?

Meals are high in energy but poor in micronutrients

According to Times of India, a meal can help fill the stomach but may not provide enough vitamins and minerals. For example, a lunch that only includes white rice, braised meat, sausages or patties, few green vegetables and no fruit will provide a lot of starch, fat, protein but lacks fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants.

Similarly, many people eat breakfast with cakes or instant noodles. Although rich in energy, these foods are low in micronutrients. If you maintain such eating habits for a long time, your body is still at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency even though the total amount of food consumed each day is quite large.

Eat only a few familiar dishes

No food provides all the nutrients. Therefore, eating only a few familiar dishes repeatedly for a long time can cause the body to lack some vitamins and minerals.

For example, people who rarely eat sea fish are easily deficient in omega-3 and vitamin D. People who do not drink milk or rarely use dairy products are at risk of calcium deficiency if they do not supplement from other sources such as small fish with bones, tofu, and green leafy vegetables. To limit micronutrient deficiency, each person should diversify the menu and rotate food groups instead of just eating familiar dishes every day, according to Times of India.

Improper processing causes nutritional loss

The nutritional content of food can be significantly reduced if processed incorrectly. Specifically, vitamin C is sensitive to heat. Boiling vegetables for too long or reheating many times can cause a large amount of this vitamin to be lost. B vitamins also dissolve easily in water, so if you boil vegetables and then discard the boiling water, the amount of vitamins absorbed will decrease.

According to Eating Well, the habit of frying at high temperatures or overcooking causes some vitamins and antioxidants to be decomposed before being used by the body.

Poor intestinal absorption

People with celiac disease, crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis or prolonged diarrhea often have poor absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins. People with atrophic gastritis or reduced stomach acid secretion also have more difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 and iron than normal people.

If you maintain a balanced diet but are still constantly tired, pale, cramping, hair loss, numb limbs or have signs of suspected nutrient deficiency, you should see a doctor to determine the cause.