Micronutrients Deficiency, a Hidden Hunger in Nepal: Prevalence, Causes, Consequences, and Solutions

Table 1

Micronutrients deficiency prevalence and the major disorders.

Micronutrients	Deficiency prevalence	Major deficiency disorders
Iron	35% of women (15–49 years of age) and 46% of children (under five years) [36]	Iron deficiency anemia, reduced learning and work capacity, increased maternal and infant mortality, low birth weight, impaired human function at all stages of life
Iodine	22.0–27.9% [48–50] (urinary iodine <100 g/L)	Cretinism, goiter, impaired cognitive function, increased prenatal morbidity and mortality, reduced productivity
Zinc^*	87.3% in children [51]; 61.0% in pregnant women [8]	Poor pregnancy outcome, impaired growth (stunting), genetic disorders, decreased resistance to infectious diseases
Folate^*	6.2% in children [52]; 12.0% in pregnant women [8]	Neural tube and other birth defects, megaloblastic anemia, heart disease, stroke, impaired cognitive function, depression
Vitamin A^*	8.5% in children [52]; 7.0% in pregnant women [8]	Xerophthalmia (night blindness, Bitot’s spot, corneal ulcer, keratomalacia, xerosis), increased risk of morbidity and mortality, increased risk of anemia
Vitamin D^*	17.2% in children [52]; 14.0% in pregnant women [8]	Rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, colorectal cancer
Vitamin E^*	17.9% in children [52]; 25.0% in pregnant women [8]	Ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, muscle weakness, miscarriages, slow growth in children
Vitamin C^*	Limited information	Scurvy (fatigue, hemorrhages, low resistance to infection, anemia)
Vitamin B1^*	Limited information	Beriberi (cardiac and neurologic), Wernicke, and Korsakov syndromes (alcoholic confusion and paralysis)
Vitamin B2^*	33.0% in pregnant women [8]	Nonspecific (fatigue, eye changes, dermatitis, brain dysfunction, impaired iron absorption)
Vitamin B3^*	Limited information	Pellagra (dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, death)
Vitamin B6^*	43.1% in children [52]; 40.0% in pregnant women [8]	Dermatitis, neurological disorders, convulsions, anemia, elevated plasma homocysteine
Vitamin B12^*	18.1% in children [52]; 28.0% in pregnant women [8]	Megaloblastic anemia (associated with Helicobacter  pylori induced gastric atrophy)
Calcium^*	Limited information	Decreased bone mineralization, rickets, osteoporosis
Selenium^*	59.0% in children [52]	Cardiomyopathy and increased cancer and cardiovascular risk
Fluoride^*	Limited information	Affects bone health including increased dental decay

Lacking data from national survey.