Doctors have warned that cheap junk food diets are behind a “very worrying” rise in the number of people hospitalized for vitamin deficiency.
In the last year alone, hundreds of thousands of people in England have been treated in wards for health problems linked to a lack of vital nutrients.
Health chiefs say the reliance on easy, filling fast foods has increased tenfold the number of people needing hospital care due to a lack of nutrients in their daily diets.
NHS figures show a dramatic increase in people with a primary diagnosis of anemia (caused by a lack of iron) and vitamin B deficiencies.
Symptoms of iron deficiency include intense paleness, irritability, fatigue, increased heart rate, sore or swollen tongue, and enlarged spleen. The condition can cause heart failure if left untreated.
In 2023/24, there were 804,936 NHS treatments in people who had iron deficiency anaemia, up from 721,650 the previous year.
The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) said the findings are “very worrying” and highlight how a nutritious diet is becoming “increasingly unaffordable” for some.
Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the RCGP, said: “It is very worrying that cases of nutrition-related anemia severe enough to warrant hospital admission have seen such a substantial increase over the past 25 years.
In the last year alone, hundreds of thousands of people in England have been treated in wards for health problems linked to a lack of vital nutrients (file photo)
In the year 2023/24, there were 191,927 hospital admissions in England for which iron deficiency was the main reason, up 11 per cent on the previous year’s 173,227 (file photo).
“Of particular concern is the almost ten-fold increase in admissions of patients diagnosed with iron deficiency and the four-fold increase in folate deficiencies, caused primarily by a lack of nutrition in the diet.
“Although it can be treated with supplements or dietary changes, it carries the risk of complications: in children, iron deficiency can be detrimental to development and has been linked to poorer school performance.”
In the year 2023/24, there were 191,927 hospital admissions in England for which iron deficiency was the main reason, up 11 per cent from 173,227 the previous year.
The 2023/24 figure is also almost ten times higher than the 20,396 hospitalizations due to iron deficiency in 1998/99.
Meanwhile, for vitamin B deficiency (other than folate, which is used as a dietary supplement in manufactured foods), there were 2,630 admissions in 2023/24 where this was the main reason, up 15 percent from 2,236 in 2022/ 23 and more than triple the 833 in 1998/1999.
Anemia due to vitamin B12 or folate deficiency caused 3,490 hospital admissions in 2023/24, similar to the previous year, but four times more than the 836 in 1998/99.
In general, when looking at patients admitted for any reason but also presenting with a vitamin deficiency, the numbers are even higher.
There were also 38,140 treatments for people with vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, up from 35,983 the previous year, along with 227,097 for other vitamin B deficiencies, up from 201,320.
Professor Hawthorne said the link between general health and nutrition “is well established” and that a “poor diet can increase the risk of a patient developing certain health conditions, while exacerbating existing conditions.”
Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency can vary, but include fatigue, muscle problems, shortness of breath, headaches, pale skin, vision problems and heart palpitations.
The data also showed that 486 treatments involved people with vitamin C deficiency, up from 338 the previous year, while 773 involved a lack of calcium, up from 758.
Professor Hawthorne said the link between general health and nutrition “is well established” and that a “poor diet can increase the risk of a patient developing certain health conditions, while exacerbating existing conditions.”
He added: “We have seen the prices of fresh and healthier foods rise in recent years, making a nutritious diet increasingly unaffordable for some, while ‘fast foods’ are cheap, filling and easy access, but have a low nutritional content. .
‘GPs are on the frontline of this public health crisis, caring for patients who are experiencing the health consequences of increasing deprivation.
‘A recent survey of our members found that 74% of GPs have seen an increase in the number of poverty-related presentations over the past year.
“It is unacceptable for a developed nation like the UK to see an increase in the number of conditions that can be linked to poverty and poor nutrition and yet this is the reality.”
Good sources of dietary iron include red meat, beans, edamame beans and chickpeas, nuts, breakfast cereals with added vitamins, and nuts, such as dried apricots.
Good sources of dietary iron include red meat, beans, edamame beans and chickpeas, nuts, breakfast cereals with added vitamins, and nuts, such as dried apricots.
B vitamins and folate are found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale, greens and spinach, and chickpeas and beans.
Meanwhile, good sources of vitamin B12 include meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs.
Professor Hawthorne said the Government must commit to a prevention-based approach to health, which will not only improve people’s quality of life “but ultimately relieve pressures on the health service”.
A government spokesperson said: ‘Lord Darzi’s report laid bare the poor health of our nation, which is putting pressure on our NHS services.
‘Our Ten-Year Health Plan will shift the focus of healthcare from disease to prevention and will include actions to ensure people have access to a healthy and balanced diet.
“Through the Plan for Change, we will fix the country’s foundations to ensure everyone lives healthier lives, longer.”