Published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the paper highlighted widespread insufficiencies for numerous micronutrients including vitamins A, D and B12, as well as folate, iron, calcium, iodine, magnesium and zinc.
However, the authors from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, Nestlé, Amway and Bayer said that these nutritional gaps were under-recognized in public health policy and that dietary supplements were an underutilized tool when it comes to filling these gaps.
“The main takeaway from our review is that micronutrient inadequacy is surprisingly common across Europe, even in high-income countries with well-stocked supermarket shelves,” co-author Kostas Mantantzis, global medical business lead at Bayer, told NutraIngredients.
“What’s often overlooked is how food supplements can help bridge these gaps, supporting not just individual health but also keeping people productive and healthcare costs down. The big implication is that we need to rethink nutrition policy and make supplements part of the public health conversation.”
What is driving micronutrient deficiencies?
Low micronutrient intake across the European population is the result of a multitude of factors. These include modern agricultural practices that have depleted nutrients in crops, the rise of convenience foods and an evolving food landscape.
The report used vitamin D as a case study, highlighting that this deficiency affects up to 40% of the European population. Low vitamin D intake, which is particularly prevalent during the autumn and winter months, may increase the risk of fatigue, muscle aches, pains and weakness, infections, rickets, osteoporosis, falls and fractures.
The authors highlighted that supplementation with vitamin D and calcium in adults with osteoporosis may prevent more than half a million fractures each year in the European Union alone and significantly reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections.
Supplementation with both vitamin D and calcium could therefore help to save the EU around €5.7 billion every year, the paper stated, as well as enhance the productivity of the workforce.
Food Supplements Europe, which partially funded the paper, said these findings highlight that food supplements are underrecognized in public health, clinical training and practice and that efforts should now be focused on raising awareness of their vital role.
“A critical step forward is raising awareness among healthcare professionals of the benefits food supplements can provide,” Monzer Alaily, FSE’s policy and communications manager, told NI.
“Concretely, this means many things, ranging from expanding the scope of nutrition in medical and dietetics curricula through facilitating meaningful dialogue between nutrition experts and policy makers and ensuring greater recognition in public discourse that food supplements are a safe and effective tool to bridge nutrient gap,” he said.
Mantantzis also highlighted the importance of conveying the message that there is no silver bullet when it comes to dietary supplements, and taking an individualized approach will result in more tangible health benefits.
“Different people need different nutrients, and at different levels, to achieve not just basic health but optimal health,” he said. “For example, vitamin D is important for most Europeans, especially in winter; iron might be particularly crucial for women and children, and older adults often need more calcium and B12.”
He added: “Our review really highlights that optimal health means tailoring nutrition and supplementation to individual needs, life stages and lifestyles. That’s why a personalized approach is key to closing nutritional gaps and helping people thrive, not just survive.”
Where next?
Food Supplements Europe said this publication serves as an important advocacy tool at the EU and national level, and will help to demonstrate to policy makers and stakeholders that food supplements are a safe and cost-effective solution when properly integrated into nutrition and public health strategies.
“FSE stresses that improving micronutrient intake across all population groups is not only a public health priority in that it alleviates the burden on national healthcare systems but also an economically-sound investment,” Alaily said.
“We support a shift from a ‘minimum requirements’ approach towards one that actively promotes health resilience and healthy ageing,” he added. “To this end, FSE calls for dietary guidance and health strategies that recognize the role of food supplements in supporting optimal health outcomes across all stages of life and for all population groups.”
Mantantzis highlighted that educational strategies will be key to creating large-scale change, as well as policy and culture shifts.
“The biggest roadblocks are education and awareness,” he said. “Most people, and even many doctors, don’t realize how common these gaps really are. Nutrition advice is still stuck on calories and macronutrients like carbs and protein, while micronutrients get sidelined. We need to flip the script: more education, smarter policies and a culture that sees supplements as part of everyday health and a complement to a balanced lifestyle.”
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1686365. "Micronutrient inadequacy in Europe: the overlooked role of food supplements in health resilience". Authors: S. Christie et al.
