Hospital admissions for lack of vitamins soaring in England, NHS figures show

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• Emperor@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  There were also 2,630 admissions in 2023-24 where B vitamin deficiency (other than folate) was the main reason, up 15% on the previous year and more than triple the 833 in 1998-99, according to the NHS data.

  Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia resulted in 3,490 hospital admissions in 2023-24, similar to the previous year but up fourfold from 836 in 1998-99, analysis by the PA Media news agency found.

  My uncle got diagnosed with neuropathy last year due to his terrible diet (vitamin B12 deficiency is a cause) and his brother and sister had Wernicke-Korsakoff’s (vitamin B1 deficiency from boozing, my auntie died a month back from it) I am definitely considering a B complex supplement. Might get them to run a panel on my vitamin levels in my end of year blood test this year.

  Everyone in the UK should be on vitamin D as we don’t get enough sunlight half the year.

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  • Valmond@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Just to chime in, about everyone working in an office has D vitamin deficiency.

    Leads to dementia and some other nice problems.

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• frazorth@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  I do wonder whether there is more to it than just fast food.

  Of course, bad diets are going to be a big portion of this, but I do hear repeatedly of reduced nutritional values in our food overall due to farming for colours over health. How much does this make an impact?

  I also do wonder about the relationship with some of the alternative diets, I personally know one person who is “vegan” but doesn’t actually “like vegetables”, so their diet mostly consists of potato products and processed bean curds.

  All this reporting is going to ignore the deeper societal questions because the obvious lead they are pushing is “too many people live off fast food” without actually saying that.

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  • isles@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The Organic Consumers Association cites several other studies with similar findings: A Kushi Institute analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent; iron levels 37 percent; vitamin A levels 21 percent, and vitamin C levels 30 percent. A similar study of British nutrient data from 1930 to 1980, published in the British Food Journal,found that in 20 vegetables the average calcium content had declined 19 percent; iron 22 percent; and potassium 14 percent. Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.

    Scientific American - Dirt Poor: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious?

    I didn’t consult their methodology, but these figures aren’t too out of alignment. However, take with a grain of salt. Sure, maybe Vitamin A has decreased in oranges. They have 2 out of a recommended 900 mcg of it, you were not going to eat 450 oranges to hit your vitamin A goals for the day.

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    • frazorth@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      This is interesting, thanks!

      Now I agree that eating 450 oranges is unlikely, however if iron is down 22% then eating another 30% more green leafy veg to cover it may not be something people are even aware of however unlikely it is that they could consume that much anyway. Hence the drastic numbers from the article.

      It sounds like even “healthy eating” people could be deficient.

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• seven_phone@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Would all of this be solved by over the counter multivitamins or is there more nutritionally missing in a poor diet.

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  • frazorth@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    The issues with multivitamins are well documented.

    1. Binding agents to make the pills easier to manufacture, make them harder to digest

    2. Protective shells so they last longer, means you can’t digest them as well

    3. Sugar mixtures to make them more appealing, such as gummies, can prevent you from digesting vitamins correctly

    Over the counter pills only help somewhat, my grandmother had calcium pills to help with her weaking bones, but in the end had to have surgery as the pills she was on didn’t digest and just accumulated in her stomach. Especially as you get older your digestive tract weakens.

    I don’t know what the solution is, perhaps having multivitamin drinks? But while we have “news stories” that are mostly scare stores, and no leadership with solutions, it’s going to be hard.

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    • Zombie@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      The solution is a varied diet.

      We need to be eating random things, not the same protein, carbs, and veggies that we know we like and buy on routine.

      How much of the fruit and vegetable aisle do you actually purchase from? I think many of us get in a routine of buying the same things over and over because we know what we like or we’re on autopilot from work burnout. But, for example, if instead of buying apples each week, we buy a different random fruit. Or, if the budget can stretch it, buy apples and a random fruit. Then our nutritional variety has just increased.

      I’m being a bit of a hypocrite here because I myself like to buy the same things over and over. I like chicken, I like apples, I like the same granola I always get. But during each shop, I try to add at least something random that I don’t normally get. A vegetable I don’t normally cook with or tofu instead of chicken, whatever. We need variety.

      There’s also the talk of nutritional content reducing in supermarket goods as they’re produced for profit. So growth speed and shelf appearance are prioritised, a way to combat that is to start growing some of your own. Obviously, this is highly dependent upon living situations, but even some herbs in a windowsill will help. Personally, I think vegetable gardeners are some of the most punk people out there, sustaining themselves, entertaining themselves, and learning new skills all for the price of a bag of dirt and some seeds. Be punk!

      youtube.com/@growveg

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  • Emperor@feddit.uk ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Wouldn’t address the importance of fibre, micronutrients and other benefits accrued from getting your vitamins from food. They say multivitamins just give you expensive wee. You are better off taking specific vitamins to cover any shortfalls. So with this article in mind, a Vitamin B complex pill would probably be a better idea. We Brits also need to be on Vitamin D at least through the darker months. I tale the latter all year, I am considering the former and would recommend something like a high strength cod liver oil tablet for Omega 3. Those three would cover a lot of the bases (to the point you wonder about the NHS banging them out at scale) but aren’t a substitute for a balanced diet.

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• FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Grim

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• eran_morad@lemmy.world ⁨4⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  JFC, eat some goddamn veg!

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