Health experts have warned that British women have dangerous diets, with teenagers relying on faddy food plans and pensioners not getting the necessary nutrients.
Scientists reviewed 110 different sets of research into how British women eat and discovered that women in the prime of life are routinely not getting the right nutrition. Girls of school age are also very likely to be missing out on crucial vitamins, with over half of girls aged between 11-18 not getting the recommended intake of minerals.
30% of teenage girls are not getting enough potassium, 16% are lacking iodine and nearly 50% are not getting enough iron.
In older women, zinc deficiency and a lack of vitamin D was a particular problem. Pregnant women need vitamin D to strengthen their unborn child’s bones and ensure that they are not born underweight.
Even as women approach retirement, their diets do not improve. As women get older, they need more vitamin D to prevent brittle bones but the collective research seems to suggest that only a third of women over 65 are getting their recommended daily allowance.
The team behind the review are from the Manchester Metropolitan University and began the study after being commissioned by the Health Supplements Information Service, a independent body.
They concluded that women need to make better food choices to ensure that they are taking in their daily recommended vitamins and suggested that those not following sensible diet plans should round out their diet with daily multivitamins.