The Micronutrient Gap: Understanding Modern Dietary Shortfalls

Nutrition science is a relatively young discipline, yet our understanding of how diet impacts
health, wellbeing, and performance has grown significantly over the past century. Despite this
surge in research and heightened public awareness, many modern diets in developed nations
are falling short in key micronutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folic acid (1). These
trends are driven by a range of factors, including rising consumption of ultra-processed foods
(UPFs), declining nutrient density in produce, reduced sunlight exposure, and chronic stress.