Deficiencies in iron, folate, vitamin A, iodine and selenium

Filling the Void

A recent report put out jointly by UNICEF and the Micronutrient Initiative reveals that a full third of the world’s population suffers from a critical lack of vitamins and nutrients. This deficiency impairs intellectual development, compromises immune system function, contributes to birth defects, and condemns some 2 billion people to lives that fall short of their physical and mental potential.

Deficiencies in iron, folate, vitamin A, iodine and selenium lead the list of problem vitamins and nutrients.

We have our own share of vitamin and nutrient deficiencies here at home too — as Dr. Wright has pointed out numerous times in Nutrition & Healing. But at least here we have access to the foods and supplements that can correct our nutritional shortcomings (at least for now — but that’s another topic). Unfortunately, that’s just not the case in many other areas of the world. However, the UNICEF report revealed that resolving this issue for good in other countries would only cost pennies per person affected. Of course, a few pennies times 2 billion still adds up to a whopping bill.

This is obviously a global health crisis that must be solved. And what has already worked here should ultimately work there with a concerted effort. But I fear there’s a shark in the tank — and it smells blood. A little further research into this issue and you run smack into proponents of genetically modified (GM) foods holding up their “products” as the beacon of hope: A “cheap alternative to supplements and organic foods.

“Saving” 2 billion people who suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies would certainly be a powerful claim to fame for the GM food industry. But I’m afraid it could be yet another profit-based story with a tragic and unnecessary ending.

If we’re going to help other countries get the nutrition they need, it should be through the real sources of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients — foods and supplements — not through “Frankenfoods.” They just haven’t proven themselves to be safe or effective. But Mother Nature HAS.

Lithium longevity

Q: My father has bipolar disorder, and I am happy to say that for 30 years, it has been inconsequential as long as he took lithium. However, we are all getting a little nervous lately — especially my father — as the lithium doesn’t appear to be working as well as it once did. Do you know of any natural other solutions he can try?

JVW: Lithium is a blessing to many sufferers of bipolar disorder, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue to be a viable option for your father. There are two things you might want to investigate in order to explain and correct the problem.

First, lithium toxicity is always something you want to watch out for if you take lithium in high doses for long periods of time. Signs of toxicity include hypertension, tremor, nausea and proteinuria. Luckily, there’s a simple solution that should enable him to remain on his current dose. Because lithium can inhibit a vital step in fatty acid metabolism, supplementing with extra quantities of these essential nutrients can solve the problem in many cases. I generally recommend that people begin by taking one tablespoon of flaxseed oil three times a day along with 800 IU of vitamin E. Once the negative side effects subside, the doses can be cut back to one tablespoon once a day of flaxseed oil and 400 IU of vitamin E.

Another thing to check, especially since lithium worked for your father for so long, is his stomach function. It is quite common for older adults to have less stomach acid, and thus to absorb less of the vitamins and nutrients they need. If he isn’t already, he should be working closely with a natural medicine physician who can check his stomach acid levels. Once this problem is solved, the dose he’s used for 30 years will very likely work just fine again.

What is…lipidomics?

There are a couple of popular lipids these days: HDL and LDL also known as the “good” and the “bad” cholesterol. Recently, a reader thought I was implying these were the only two lipids, and corrected me to say there were actually five. Being the curious type, I did a little research into the scope of lipids and uncovered an entire emerging field of research called “lipidomics” — the study of lipids.

According to The Scientist magazine, scientists believe that more than a thousand major lipids exist in the human body, along with an unknown number of less prevalent, minor species. Major lipid classes include triacylglycerols, phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipids, sterols, waxes, and fatty acids. Apparently, they play a powerful role in cellular functioning. “Without lipids, DNA would never be decoded into life forms,” says Zheng Cui, a biochemist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. With the growing prevalence of lipid-associated disorders such as obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes, I suspect the term lipidomics is about to become much more commonplace.

Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing

Sources:

“Vitamins & minerals for children fortifies economic development in China,” UNICEF (press release, www.unicef.org), 9/3/04

“More iron and vitamin A from GM rice,” The European Food Information Council (www.eufic.org), accessed 11/01/04

Sobczak S, et. al. “Lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in first-degree relatives of bipolar patients.” Psychol Med. 2004; 34(1): 103-112

Wilson, Jennifer. Long-Suffering Lipids Gain Respect. The Scientist, March, 2003.