Do you often feel tired, have poor resistance, and even the wounds are not easy to heal? Be careful that “hidden hunger” may come to your door! The nutritionist reminds that people who lack these two major nutrients may be in the high-risk group of “hidden hunger”. Paying attention to the 3 principles will help you stay away from the threat of “hidden hunger”!
When it comes to malnutrition, I believe most people think of people’s skinny appearance! In fact, in addition to too little intake of calories and nutrients, health is affected due to unbalanced nutrition, which is also the so-called malnutrition. And “hidden hunger” is a situation where “the body does not feel hungry and seems to have enough intake”, but in fact it lacks certain nutrients. For example, an obese person may also suffer from nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency.
What is Hidden Hunger?Lack of two major types of nutrition may become a high-risk group
Nutritionist Li Wanping said that hidden hunger, also known as micronutrient deficiency, refers to the lack of two essential nutrients for the human body: vitamins and minerals. Different from the three macronutrients of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because they only need to be taken in small amounts. Among the most commonly deficient nutrients are vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine, and folic acid, while others such as the B complex or B12 are also common.
For example, many starch sufferers often have symptoms of anemia due to insufficient protein and iron intake; people who are addicted to sweets and drinks are prone to seborrheic dermatitis or poor skin conditions such as mouth cracks and angular cheilitis; People who only love meat but eat less fruit will also suffer from bleeding gums due to lack of vitamin C. When the body is in hidden hunger for a long time, it will not be able to function well and resist diseases, and it will also hinder the growth and development of children.
Eating kiwi, orange, banana, guava and other fruits, you can get a variety of nutrients in just one serving.
3 principles to avoid hidden hunger
Nutritionist Li Wanping said that bad eating habits are the main cause of micronutrient deficiency, so to prevent hidden hunger, you can pay attention to several directions:
1. Diet diversification:
Maintaining a diverse diet is considered to be one of the most effective ways to avoid hidden hunger, that is, a balanced intake of six types of food, including whole grains and roots, beans, fish, meat and eggs, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and nut oils.
2. Choose nutrient-dense foods:
Generally, foods with low nutrient density provide body calories without other important nutrients, such as overly refined foods, high-fat and high-sugar snacks, etc. Therefore, it is recommended to eat more unprocessed natural ingredients; carefully read the nutritional content on the label when buying food, and choose more nutritious items with the same calories. For example, it is better to eat red bean soup and B complex instead of drinking only beverages, because the former can only supplement sugar but cannot help metabolism; or eat fruits such as kiwi, orange, banana, guava, etc., just one serving Get a variety of nutrients.
3. Extra supplements from nutritious foods:
For certain groups such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly, the need for micronutrients may increase. For example, pregnant mothers must increase their intake of iron and folic acid. When the daily diet is not enough, it can be supplemented by nutritional supplements following discussing with a nutritionist or physician.
