What is hidden hunger? Pick out the three major symptoms! Nutritionist Jian Yuhua: 3 ways to reduce hidden hunger

"How is that possible?! I'm malnourished? I'm a great eater! I can eat 2 bowls of rice in one meal!", "I've been feeling inexplicably tired lately, and I can't explain why," said Jian Yuhua, a nutritionist at the Cancer Care Foundation. All of the above situations can be linked to hidden hunger. Hidden hunger refers to insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals, which may cause symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss and anemia. As for, what risks may hidden hunger cause? And how can we prevent hidden hunger through our daily diet?

Asian eating habits have always tended to directly link the "quantity" of food to "nutrition". Perhaps this is related to the fact that in the early days when people's economic level was poor, they were less likely to feel hungry when they could eat more food, and it also reduced the malnutrition associated with insufficient calorie intake. However, in modern society, there is no shortage of food sources, but the problem of "unbalanced" nutrition frequently occurs. We can't help but think about the trade-off between quantity and quality!

What is hidden hunger?

What is hidden hunger? Nutritionist Jian Yuhua said that hidden hunger, according to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is the insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. Or it can be called "chronic hunger" and "chronic vitamin and mineral deficiency".

Therefore, in such a situation, there is actually no macronutrient such as carbohydrates, protein or fat that provides insufficient calories, which causes the stomach to growl in hunger, but in fact it is not enough to meet the basic vitamin or mineral content required by the body.

Understanding hidden hunger. (Photo provided by nutritionist Jian Yuhua)

What risks does hidden hunger pose?

It is precisely because there are no immediate feelings or health problems that modern people may not be able to realize it immediately. However, after a period of time, some clinical symptoms may appear. For example, some of my cases mentioned above may show symptoms of fatigue, hair loss, and anemia, which may be related to the lack of vitamins or minerals caused by hidden hunger.

What vitamins or minerals should Taiwanese people pay attention to?

According to the results of the survey on changes in the national nutritional health status, the sources of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E with relatively deviated intake levels are minerals. Adults also need to pay special attention to the minerals magnesium and zinc. These nutrients play a very important role in the physiological functions of the human body. The following are the possible effects on the body when they are deficient and the recommended daily intake.

Since everyone's diet and lifestyle are different, the nutrients that the body may lack may also be different. Therefore, this table can be used as one of the bases for personal dietary intake.

Survey on changes in the nutritional and health status of the nation. (Photo provided by nutritionist Jian Yuhua)

How can we prevent hidden hunger through our daily diet?

Basically, you only need to use three major methods to greatly reduce the risk of hidden hunger:

1. Satisfy six categories of food:

The key is to meet your needs in the six major categories of food. In addition to providing macronutrients, the six major categories of food also contain many vitamins and minerals. As long as the recommended intake of the national diet is met, the body can get enough needs.

2. Reduce the intake of processed foods:

Reduce the frequency of consuming processed foods. Processed foods often have a high calorie density, which is a hidden concern for everyone, but their nutrient density is insufficient. Therefore, if it is a daily intake, it is recommended to reduce the frequency.

3. Take supplements as appropriate:

If the intake of original food is insufficient, supplements can be used to improve the overall intake according to needs. It is common for people to buy a lot of health products, but in fact this is not in line with the law of balance. The intake of original food should be the basis. If there are insufficient sources of nutrients to supplement according to daily living habits, then a nutritionist should evaluate and plan whether additional health supplements are needed. At the same time, attention should be paid to the dosage intake to upgrade your health!

The right way to reduce risk. (Photo provided by nutritionist Jian Yuhua)