Nutritional Deficiencies in Canada: Prevalence and Health Impacts

This essay examines the issue of nutritional deficiencies in Canada, highlighting the inadequate intake of essential nutrients, particularly vitamin A. It explains the distinction between macronutrients and micronutrients, emphasizing the crucial roles of vitamins and minerals in maintaining bodily functions and homeostasis. The paper focuses on the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, citing that a significant portion of the Canadian population, especially young adults, does not meet the recommended daily intake. It details the symptoms associated with vitamin A deficiency, including tiredness, increased susceptibility to infections, impaired growth and bone development, infertility, vision problems, and skin and hair issues. The essay underscores the importance of a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and other vitamin A-rich foods to prevent these adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, the essay cites various research articles to support its claims. Overall, the essay emphasizes the significance of adequate nutrient intake for overall health and well-being in the Canadian population.

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Nutritional Deficiency
Nutritional deficiency may be defined as the inadequate supply of nutrients such as vitamins and
minerals that are essential to the body. The human body is made up of cells, that are made from
proteins and enzymes which help in the proper functioning of the body. The enzymes catalyze
the process of energy build up and consequently help the immune system in fighting invading
pathogens (Van Rutte et al., 2013, 1643). It is, however, important to note that the enzymes
cannot work on their own and thus need vitamins and minerals. These nutrients in their correct
amounts help the body in maintaining homeostasis (Conaway et al., 2013, p. 770). The absence
of these important nutrients is termed as nutrient deficiency.
In this paper, we will talk about the most common nutrient deficiencies among Canadians. It is
important to note that most Canadians do not normally meet their nutritional requirements
especially through food alone. The deficiency may be a macronutrient or a micronutrient.
Macronutrients are the main nutrients that make up the food that is consumed by people on a day
to day basis. They include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients, on the other hand,
include vitamins and minerals and they are only needed in small amounts to help in metabolism,
human development and wellbeing, heartbeat, and bone density among others (Berdanier et al.,
2015).

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There is a growing concern that Canadians do not meet their daily needs for adequate intake of
nutrients especially the micronutrients. The prevalence for inadequate intake of nutrients is
usually high for Vitamin A. This vitamin can be found in many fruits, meat, whole milk, eggs,
vegetables, and butter among other sources. It is important in the proper development of the
immune system, eyes, and skin. Adequate consumption of this vitamin lowers the risks of
cataracts, measles, breast cancer, and eye disease that may involve the retina.
On average, a Canadian takes only around 500g of vitamin A in their daily diets. This amount is
however insufficient for the proper functioning of the body. Studies indicate that men aged 19
years and above should be consuming a minimum of 900g and a maximum of 3000g of vitamin
A daily. Women, on the other hand, should be consuming 700g and 770g when they are
pregnant. For the lactating mothers, on the other hand, the least average daily intake of vitamin A
should be 1300g (Ramage-Morin et al., 2013). The intake should however not exceed 3000g in a
day for any individual. It is important to note that these amounts are inclusive of food sources
and supplements.
The population with the least intake of vitamin A among Canadians is made up of 19-year-old
individuals. In excess of 35 percent, Canadians with the age of 19 years are reported to consume
vitamin A in quantities that are well below the estimated average requirement. The prevalence of
inadequate consumption of the vitamin rises in most adult sex and age groups (Ramage-Morin et
al., 2013). This population has a low intake of vitamin A because they do not eat plenty of fruits.
It is in fact recommended that an individual eats at least five servings of vegetables and fruits in
a single day. Additionally, some Canadians have rice as the main food in the diet. Rice, however,
does not contain any carotene which is a precursor of vitamin A.

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Deficiency of vitamin A causes several symptoms. Firstly, deficiency causes tiredness. It is also
important to note that vitamin A deficiency increases the risks of throat infections,
gastroenteritis, and chest infections (Akhtar, Saeed, et al., 2013, p. 413). The deficiency may also
lead to slow growth and delayed bone development among children and teenagers. The vitamin
is believed to exert a direct metabolic effect on the growth of bones (Tanumihardjo, 2013, p.
417). Additionally, the presence of vitamin A in the daily diet leads to a secondary reduction in
infectious morbidity thus enhancing growth. Therefore. A deficiency of this nutrient means that
the infectious morbidity is not reduced thus limiting the growth of children. The deficiency may
also cause infertility, especially among women. Insufficient amount of vitamin A in the diet may
lead to a defective onset meiotic prophase in ovarian germ cells. This may result in secondary
infertility as the germ cells of an embryo fail to undergo meiosis (El-Khashab, Ehab, et al., 2013,
p. 201). This may even cause miscarriages. It is thus clear that vitamin A is very important for
the normal functioning of the female reproductive system.
Deficiency of vitamin A also causes eye and vision problems. These problems may include night
blindness, perforation of the cornea, a severe sight impairment that is caused by damage of the
retina, dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva on the eye surface, and thinning and ulceration of
the cornea among other conditions. Vitamin A helps in protecting the cornea thus aiding in
vision. This nutrient is a powerful antioxidant and thus it helps in protecting the eye against
oxidative damage. Oxidative damage may be caused by exposure to violet, blue, and ultraviolet
light.
Furthermore, vitamin A deficiency causes skin and hair problems that include dry skin, itching,
and dry hair. The skin readily absorbs vitamin A because it is highly responsive to the retinoid.
Vitamin A is responsible for the production of new skin cells. Otherwise, with the absence of this

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vitamin, the skin becomes overly dry (Al Tanoury et al., 2013, p. 1764). Additionally,
insufficient amounts of vitamin A in the diet may lead to follicular hyperkeratosis. This
condition is characterized by excessively high amounts of keratin in the hair follicles. As a result,
papules form on the skin. Also, vitamin A stimulates the production collagens thus leading to a
reduction of wrinkles. It is thus clear that vitamin A is essential in skin and hair problems.

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Works Cited
Akhtar, Saeed, et al. "Prevalence of vitamin A deficiency in South Asia: causes, outcomes, and
possible remedies." Journal of health, population, and nutrition 31.4 (2013): 413.
Al Tanoury, Ziad, Aleksandr Piskunov, and Cécile Rochette-Egly. "Vitamin a and retinoid
signaling: genomic and nongenomic effects thematic review series: Fat-soluble vitamins:
Vitamin a." Journal of lipid research 54.7 (2013): 1761-1775.
Berdanier, Carolyn D., and Lynnette A. Berdanier. Advanced nutrition: macronutrients,
micronutrients, and metabolism. CRC Press, 2015.
Conaway Herschel, Petra Henning, and Ulf H. Lerner. "Vitamin A metabolism, action, and role
in skeletal homeostasis." Endocrine Reviews 34.6 (2013): 766-797.
El-Khashab, Ehab K., et al. "Effect of maternal vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy on
neonatal kidney size." Journal of perinatal medicine 41.2 (2013): 199-203.
Ramage-Morin, Paméla Louise, and Didier Garriguet. Nutritional risk among older Canadians.
Statistics Canada, 2013.
Tanumihardjo, Sherry A. "Vitamin A and bone health: the balancing act." Journal of Clinical
Densitometry 16.4 (2013): 414-419.
Van Rutte, P. W. J., et al. "Nutrient deficiencies before and after sleeve gastrectomy." Obesity
surgery 24.10 (2014): 1639-1646.

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